Gennaro Contaldo’s porchetta

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/ gas 7. Lay the pork belly flat on a work surface, skin-side down. Sprinkle with half the salt and lots of ground black pepper, rubbing it well into the meat. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
2. Cut 10 lengths of string, each about 30cm long (or see Cook School for an alternative tying method). Sprinkle the herbs, fennel seeds and garlic over the pork. Carefully roll up the from one of the long ends, then tie very tightly with string in the middle of the roll. Tie at either end, about 1cm in, then keep tying at intervals along the roll until all the lengths of string have been used up. If any filling escapes, push it back in.
3. Massage 1 tbsp of the olive oil all over the joint (see Know-how), then rub in the remaining salt and some ground black pepper. Grease a large roasting tin with the remaining olive oil, then add the pork. Roast for 15 minutes with the seam facing upwards. Turn the pork and continue to cook, seam-side down, for 15 minutes (see Know-how).
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4. Turn the oven down to 150°C/ 130°C fan/gas 2 and cover the pork with foil. Roast for another 3 hours, adding the potatoes and carrots to the roasting tin after 1½ hours.
5. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and turn the oven to low. Lift the pork onto a carving board. Brush the honey over the pork and spoon over some of the juices from the roasting tin. Toss the veg in the pan to coat in the remaining cooking juices, then keep warm in a low oven. Leave the pork to rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve hot or at room temperature with the roasted vegetables.