I received another delicious Murray Valley Pork delivery just before Easter {the pork products were gifted}. I don’t think that you can go wrong with pork when it’s got an excellent crispy crackling and we’ve perfected it with a blast at 250 degrees for 30 minutes, followed by 170 degrees for the recommend cook time of the pork, and then a final blast at 210 degrees for 15 minutes. Now I jazzed up my pork crackle with some fennel seeds mixed in with the oil and salt {but that’s entirely up to you}.
Now, I also don’t think you can you can go wrong when you pair roast pork with a delicious potato bake and other seasonal product. As we come into Autumn, you’ll find the following veggies hitting your green grocer {this list is for Canberra – and I’m guest all of the Australian East Coast}:
- Beetroot
- Celeriac
- Fennel
- Leeks
- Parsnips
- Pumpkin
- Silverbeet
- Spinach
- Witlof
- Zucchini {amongst others}
Buying seasonal food makes sense for a lot of reasons. Eating with the natural seasonal cycle means your food requires less resources to grow and often doesn’t need to be transported as far. That means it’s often cheaper, too.
WILTED WITLOF SALAD
4 witlof
1 pear
250 grams of walnuts
250 grams of blue cheese
2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of olive oil
salt and pepper
Slice your wilof into quarters and then grill in a dry pan. Toss your walnuts in the same pan and then transfer to a serving dish. Lay slices of crisp pear over the wilted witlof, then sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and seasoning.
CELERIAC PUREE
1 bulb of celeriac
1 litre of milk
1 litre of vegetable stock
salt and pepper
Peel the celeriac and then cut into cubes. Place in a large saucepan and then cover with milk and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes or until the celeriac is tender. Blitz with a stick blender to make a puree.
ROAST PUMPKIN AND FENNEL
3 bulbs of fennel, halved
500 grams of pumpkin, cubed
1 cup of pear cider
When there is an hour left for your pork to roast, add the fennel, pumpkin and pear cider into the bottom of your roasting tray. And that’s it {SUPER SIMPLE}.
What Autumnal veggies do you like to have with your roast pork? What are your tips for the best crispy crackling? Do you jazz up your crackling with anything in particular?
