Crispy Pork with Spicy Shrimp

Method

• step 1

  Spike the skin of the pork belly well with a metal skewer, sit it on a wire rack inside a roasting tray then pour a kettle of boiling water over it. Leave it to drain and then dry well with paper towels. Using a pestle & mortar grind up the Szechuan, black peppers and mustard seeds until the mix is fine then add the five spice & sugar. Turn the pork belly meat side up and rub the dry spice mix in well into the meat.

• step 2

  Preheat oven to 200 C (gas mark 6), then place the pork belly on a wire rack skin side up and sit that over a roasting tray half filled with cold water.

• step 3

  Place in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 180 C (gas mark 4 & cook for a further 2 hours.

• step 4

  In the meantime cut off the stalks from the shitake mushrooms and put them into a stainless steel saucepan together the chicken stock, oyster sauce. Simmer on a medium high heat until you have 500 ml left. Slice the shitake mushrooms and reserve.

• step 5

  Strain the chicken stock then add the mushrooms slices,red pepper, pak choy, red chili & sugar-snap peas... then turn off the heat.

• step 6

  In a hot wok stir fry quickly the shrimp in the oil, with the garlic & ginger for 4 minutes, then remove from the heat. Increase the temperature of the oven to 220 C (gas mark 8) and roast the pork belly for a further 15 minutes. Turn the oven off and keep the door slightly ajar .

• step 7

  Check the the red pepper in the stock is cooked enough , then add the shrimp & the noodles.

• step 8

  Divide the shrimp broth between 4 warm bowls.

• step 9

  Make sure you have a good sharp knife handy to cut up the pork, if you do have difficulty then try turning the pork upside down so that the knife goes through the meat then the crackling.

• step 10

  Cut the pork into large cubes and place them on top of the other ingredients so as to keep the crackling crispy. é Kevin Ashton 2005