Ingredients

• 2 onions
• thickly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole cloves
• ¼ star anise
• 10 whole green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 500g/1lb 2oz pork belly
• skin removed and reserved
• 200ml/7fl oz cider
• knob of butter
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
• 400g/14oz quick-cook cornmeal
• 75g/2½oz mature Cheddar
• grated
• 75g/2½oz blue cheese (such as Stilton or gorgonzola)
• crumbled
• 75g/2½oz Emmental
• grated
• 75g/2½oz unsalted butter
• cut into cubes
• 200g/7oz butter
• 4 fennel bulbs
• thinly sliced
• 1 fennel bulb
• thinly sliced
• vegetable oil
• for deep-frying
• pinch sea salt

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Scatter the onions
• garlic and bay leaves over the base of a roasting tray.
• Grind the whole spices to a powder using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. Rub them into the pork belly
• then lay it on top of the onions. Cover with foil and roast for 3 hours. Set aside to rest.
• Increase the oven temperature to 230C/210C Fan/Gas 8. Put the pork skin on a flat baking tray
• season with salt and place another baking tray on top of it. Roast until crispy. Set aside.
• Pour the cooking juices from the pork tray into a small saucepan and place over a high heat. Add a little cider (you may not need it all) and reduce until syrupy. Whisk in a little butter and balsamic vinegar. Set aside and keep warm.
• To make the polenta
• bring the stock to a gentle boil and whisk in the cornmeal a little at a time. Turn down the heat and let the polenta bubble gently for about 5 minutes. Add the three cheeses and beat in the butter. Set aside.
• To make the braised fennel
• heat the butter in a frying pan and braise the fennel slices in the butter until soft. Set aside.
• To make the fennel crisp
• heat a deep-fat fryer to 180C (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended). Fry the fennel for 3 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with sea salt.
• To serve
• place a spoonful of polenta onto the serving plate along with the braised fennel and top with the roasted pork and a piece of the crackling. Garnish with the fennel crisps and serve the cider gravy alongside.