Spiced pork belly squares with juicy plum sauce

I got this recipe from my sister, they are a hit in her house and I will be trying them myself very soon!

Pork belly is great value, and cutting into squares looks restaurant-chic.

2 kg pork belly, skin scored

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp brown sugar 

400ml hot chicken or pork stock

250ml white wine

6 ripe plums, halved

Heat oven to 180@C. Very slowly, pour a kettleful of boiling water over the pork belly and cut into squares. Pat dry, then rub the allspice, fennel seeds and sugar over the flesh side.

Line a roasting tin with greaseproof paper, lay the squares of pork belly snuggly inside, then pour the stock and white wine in around the pork belly with the skin out of the liquid. Cover with foil and roast for 2 ½ hrs.

Take the roasting tin out and turn oven up to 220@C. Gently pour out the cooking liquid into a gravy strainer to drain off the fat. Pour back into the roasting tin, sprinkle the skin with sea salt, add the plums to the tin, then put the pork back in the oven, uncovered, to crisp up the skin for 25 mins. Leave to rest for 10 mins, then serve the meat with the sauce.

Best Lemon Meringue Pie

Don't be put off by the long method description, I am simply giving you all the tips to avoid the usual pitfalls of:

• A raw tasting filling
• Meringue slipping off the filling and pulling away from the sides
• Meringue weeping sugary tears etc.

Makes 1 x 24cm pie Serves 12

CRUST
1 x 200 g pkt tennis biscuits

¼ cup (60 ml) real butter, melted

FILLING
2 x 397 g tins of full cream sweetened condensed milk
½ cup (125 ml) boiling water
1 T (15 ml) grated lemon rind
½ cup (125 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 egg yolks
pinch of salt
2 t (10 ml) cornflour

MERINGUE LAYER
4 egg whites
2 t (10 ml) lemon juice
¼ cup (60 ml) castor sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Use a non-stick spray (this is one of the very few times that I use it) to spray the inside of a 22cm pie dish. Crush the biscuits or whiz them in a food processor until broken. Add the melted butter and blend very briefly until just mixed through.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish and spread out. Work the crumbs up the sides of the dish and flatten with the back of a tablespoon. Put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm while you prepare the filling.

Beat the condensed milk (use the boiling water to get every bit out of the tins), lemon rind, lemon juice, egg yolks and salt together until thoroughly mixed.

Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the filling gently over the back of a spoon so as not to disturb the crumbs of the pie crust.

Bake the pie (without the meringue for 20 minutes).

 To make the meringue beat the egg whites in a spotless glass or stainless steel bowl until just beginning to foam. Add the lemon juice and beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Add the castor sugar, a spoonful at a time, while beating hard. Sift the icing sugar over in 3 batches and also beat it in hard.

The meringue mixture must now be stiff and shiny and be able to hold its shape. Remove the pie from the oven - sift the 2 t of cornflour over the filling (this acts as glue to hold the filling and the meringue together). Spoon the meringue over the hot filling in great big blobs - working right up and over the edge of the crust. Fluff the meringue up with a spatula and return the pie to the oven. Bake for another 25 minutes. Open the oven door 1cm, switch off the oven and leave the pie in the oven to cool down.

When the pie is cool transfer it to the fridge to store - this will prevent 'tears' forming on the meringue - the air in the fridge is much drier than the regular atmosphere outside.

Rolo Cookies

Very yummy, can be made with the Rolo filling or without, whatever takes your fancy.

Yield: 36 cookies
Cook Time: 12 - 15 minutes

Ingredients:
36 Rolo chocolates

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
30 ml milk
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Castor sugar (for rolling the cookie dough balls in)

Directions
1. Place Rolos in the freezer to freeze

2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.

4. Mix the eggs, milk and vanilla

5. With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add milk mixture. Mix until blended.

6. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and blend well. Take a spoonful of chocolate cookie dough and wrap around one Rolo. Make sure Rolo is completely covered with cookie dough. Roll dough ball in sugar and place on prepared baking sheet. Continue until you run out of cookie dough.

7. Bake cookies for 12 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.