Braised Pork Belly & Garlic kale Sushi Rice

Ingredients:

➡️For the Braised Pork Belly:

• 500g pork belly, chopped
• 1 tbsp muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil for cooking

➡️For the Sauce:

• 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 10g ginger
• 2 bay leaves
• 200ml red wine
• 150ml water
• 50g butter
• 5 tsp dark soy sauce
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil for cooking

➡️For the Rice:

• 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cavolo nero leaves, sliced
• 1 cup (160ml) sushi rice
• 2 cups (320ml) water
• Vegetable oil for cooking

Serve 2

Method:

1. Prepare the Braised Pork Belly:

• Heat a frying pan with some vegetable oil over medium heat.
• Fry the chopped pork belly with sugar and cinnamon powder until it’s caramelized,
• Season with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat and set it aside.

2. Prepare the Sauce:

• Heat an oven-proof pot with some vegetable oil over medium heat.
• Fry the chopped shallot and garlic until they become fragrant.
• Add fennel seeds and Chinese five spice, and stir well.
• Pour in the red wine and reduce it by half.
• Add ginger, dark soy sauce, and water.
• Season with salt and black pepper.
• Add cold butter and stir until it’s dissolved.
• Put bay leaves into the pot.

3. Combine Pork Belly and Sauce:

• Pour the caramelized pork belly into the sauce.
• Stir well and cover the pot with a lid.
• Place it in the oven at 165°C with a fan for about 1 hour.

4. Prepare the Sushi Rice:

• In a separate pot, cook the sushi rice by combining one part rice with two parts water.
• Add a pinch of salt and mix well.
• Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

5. Prepare the Cavolo Nero Rice:

• Heat a frying pan with some vegetable oil over medium heat.
• Fry the chopped shallot and garlic until fragrant.
• Add the sliced cavolo nero leaves and stir well.
• Add the cooked sushi rice and stir until everything is well combined.
• Season with salt and black pepper.

6. Serve:

When the braised pork belly is ready, serve the cavolo nero rice as a bed in a bowl. Place the braised pork belly on top and garnish with finely chopped parsley.