INGREDIENTS:

 Pork Belly Confit

1 pound pork belly skin on
4 teaspoons kosher salt
4 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground fennel seed
¼ teaspoon ground coriander seed
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Sumac Glaze

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves minced
¼ cup sherry vinegar
¾ teaspoon espelette pepper
1 ½ tablespoon sumac
11 ounces maple syrup
1 ½ tablespoons pomegranate molasses

Fennel Soubise

1 onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 medium fennel bulbs, cut into 1cm dice (reserve the fine green fennel tips)
½ tsp fennel seeds
40gm butter
1 tbs plain flour
½ cup milk
salt and white pepper

METHOD:

With a sharp knife, score through skin every ½-inch at a diagonal, cutting through skin and into fat, but not so deep that you hit meat. Repeat cutting in an opposite diagonal to create a diamond shape pattern.

Season pork belly with salt mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Roast pork belly for 30 minutes on the middle rack in a heavy, skillet, skin side up. Reduce heat to 275°F and roast for an hour or more, until tender but not mushy.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until chilled.

Once chilled, slice into thick pieces and brown in a skillet on the stovetop until crisp. Once desired crispness is achieved glaze with sumac glaze.

SUMAC GLAZE

In a medium saucepan add oil and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sherry vinegar and reduce until almost dry, add remaining ingredients and cook over low heat until thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 20 30 minutes.

FENNEL SOUBISE

In a medium saucepan, sweat the onion, garlic, fennel, and fennel seeds in the butter over a low heat, covered, stirring occasionally until the fennel is soft.

Add the flour and stir over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the milk and stir over a low heat until the sauce thickens.

Transfer to a food processor, season with salt and white pepper and blend until smooth. For a fine puree, pass the mixture through a fine sieve.

Chef Caldwells Note:

Soubise is a french sauce usually made with onions cooked in butter then puréed with heavy cream and seasonings. In ours, we’ve added fennel to the mix to bring out those nice earthy tones in our Cabernet.

Keep up with all Davis Estates has to offer! Follow us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

Courtesy of Mark Caldwell, Executive Chef Davis Estates