Italy: Fennel & Coriander Seed Salt and Porchetta-Style Pork Belly

By Tom Hunt

Porchetta takes its name from porchetto, Italian for a small pig: traditionally a whole deboned animal, stuffed with garlic and rosemary, roasted slowly on a spit until the skin blisters into one continuous sheet of crackling. The most celebrated version, porchetta di Ariccia from the hills outside Rome, even carries EU-protected status, its herb blend strictly defined by tradition.

A whole spit-roasted pig isn't practical at home, and rolling a boned joint takes time most of us don't have on a weeknight. This version keeps porchetta's defining elements, fennel-salted crackling and a garlic-rosemary perfume, on a single flat piece of belly instead. Season the joint generously with the salt rub, garlic and rosemary at least 24 hours ahead, turning it once or twice a day so the flavour penetrates evenly, then for the final 24 hours rest it skin-side up, uncovered, so the skin dries out fully before it goes anywhere near the oven, that's what gives proper, even crackling rather than patches. At roasting time, a fresh bed of whole garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs goes underneath the joint instead of onto the flesh, perfuming it gently from below while it roasts, and looking good enough to serve alongside once it's soft and golden.

Other ways to use the rub

• Stirred into softened butter for roasting chicken
• Used to season focaccia or breadsticks before baking
• Whisked into olive oil as a dip for crusty bread

Ingredients

For the fennel & coriander seed salt (makes about 90ml/6 tbsp):

• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 3 tbsp flaky sea salt
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

For seasoning the pork (24–36 hours ahead):

• 1-1.5 kg thick end pork belly, boneless, skin scored
• 2 tbsp fennel & coriander seed salt
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2–3 rosemary sprigs, leaves chopped

For roasting:

• 8–10 whole garlic cloves, skin on, lightly bashed
• 4–5 rosemary sprigs
• 1.5kg of roasting veg (e.g. fennel, young turnips and new potatoes), halved or cut into wedges if large. Reserve any fennel leaves or turnip tops to toss through veg at the end
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, to serve
• 1 lemon, sliced, to serve

Method

To make the fennel & coriander seed salt:

1. Crack the black pepper in a pestle and mortar until coarsely ground. Remove and put to one side.
2. Grind the coriander and fennel until coarsely ground, then gently grind in the flaky sea salt and black pepper.
3. Store in a Shadwell spice tube or an airtight jar, labelled and dated. Keeps up to 3 months.

To season the pork (24–36 hours ahead):

1. Mix 2 tbsp of the fennel and coriander seed salt with the crushed garlic and chopped rosemary. Rub all over the pork, working it into the scored skin and the flesh underneath.
2. Place in a dish in the fridge. If seasoning for the full 36 hours, turn once or twice a day, flipping skin-side down then up, so the seasoning penetrates evenly.
3. For the final 24 hours, rest the pork skin-side up, uncovered and undisturbed, so the skin dries out fully before roasting.

To roast the pork and vegetables:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan).
2. Lay the whole garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs across the base of a large roasting tray. Sit the pork on top, skin-side up.
3. Roast for 15–25 minutes, until the crackling is bubbling and crisp, a little dark in places is fine.
4. Turn the oven down to 170°C (150°C fan). Toss the fennel, turnips and new potatoes in olive oil and a pinch of salt, and scatter around the pork in the same tray.
5. Roast for a further 35–45 minutes, until the pork reaches above 72°C in the thickest part (use a probe), or the juices run clear when pierced with a knife.
6. If your turnips came with leafy tops, roughly chop and stir them into the tray for the final 5 minutes, until just wilted.
7. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and a tea towel, and rest for at least 15 minutes in a warm place.
8. Carve into 8 slices. Serve with the vegetables, the softened garlic and crisp rosemary from underneath, a slice of lemon, a sprinkle of reserved fennel leaves and a dusting of cumin seeds.

Storage: the pork keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days in a sealed container, good hot or cold. Reheat until piping hot throughout. The vegetables keep well too, and are good in a sandwich.