Ingredients

• 200ml/7fl oz white wine vinegar
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 1 small cauliflower
• cut into florets
• 20 small shallots
• peeled
• 20 pea pods
• 500g/1lb 2oz boneless pork belly
• 1 onion
• cut into chunks
• 1 carrot
• cut into chunks
• 4 sprigs flatleaf parsley
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 3 star anise
• 50g/2oz butter

Directions

• For the pickled cauliflower
• heat the white wine vinegar
• sugar
• salt and peppercorns in a pan over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
• Place the cauliflower and shallots into a bowl and pour over the hot vinegar. Mix together
• coating the cauliflower and shallots with the vinegar.
• Set aside to pickle
• ideally for at least an hour
• preferably 24 hours.
• For the pork belly
• place the pork belly
• onion
• carrot
• parsley
• thyme and star anise into a large saucepan.
• Fill the pan with cold water
• so the pork is covered.
• Bring to a boil
• then turn down to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and place the pork belly between two heavy baking trays and place in the fridge for at least two hours to cool and set.
• Cut the pork belly into 1cm/½in thick slices.
• Heat a frying pan until hot
• add a knob of the butter and pork and cook for two minutes on each side. Repeat in batches
• adding fresh butter for each batch.
• Just before serving
• bring a pan of salted water to the boil
• add the peas and cook for two minutes until just tender then drain.
• Open up the pea pods
• but do not pop the peas out. Add the peas in pods to the pickled vegetables and mix to combine.
• To serve
• place the slices of pork belly on the plate
• then spoon the pickled cauliflower
• shallots and peas alongside.