» Roast Pork With Crackling

Ingredients:

1 loin of leg of pork
cooking salt
2lb (900g) potatoes
1 large can celery hearts
freshly chopped parsley
1 tbsp (15 ml) plain flour
¾ (450 ml) stock

Instructions

1. Set oven at 350°F (180°) or Mark 4.

2. Place the joint on a board and choose the sharpest knife you can find. The secret of
good crackling is very thorough scoring. The rind of the pork should be scored at ¼ inch (1 cm)
intervals, the knife cutting deep into the soft fat underneath.

3. Once you have scored the joint, rub cooking salt into it. Then place on a baking tin with
no additional fat and roast in the pre-set oven on the middle shelf. Cook for 25 minutes per lb. (450 g) and 25 minutes over.

4. Peel the potatoes and cut into even size pieces. Place them in a pan of cold salted water
and bring to the boil. Drain and dry thoroughly. Place them in the fat around the meat 45
minutes before the end of the roasting time. Turn them over half way through their cooking time.

5. About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time take joint out of the oven, baste
thoroughly and raise the temperature to 450°F (230°C) or Mark 8.

6. Tip the celery into a pan and heat in its own juice. Dish the pork up on a warmed
serving dish, surround with the roast potatoes and the celery and sprinkle with chopped
parsley.

7. To make the gravy, tip off all but about 1 tbsp (15 ml) of fat from the roasting tin. Add
the flour and blend in well. Then tip in the stock and allow to bubble up well before serving
in a sauce boat.

NOTE: Joints from the hind quarters of the pig give the best crackling.

kettle: