Roast Pork Belly with Apple Sauce

. . . has been one of those slightly chaotic, always busy, an accidents-filled week(broken nails, bumped forehead, burned fingers) with many cups of coffee and never enough time to finish everything -- lists and emails and jewelry to make -- feeling down...

Ingredients

• 1.5-2kg of pork belly
• Olive oil, to rub on pork
• dry rub: 1 tsp  dried rosemary, 1/2 tsp sage powder, 1/2 tsp thyme powder, 1 tsp palm sugar
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• For the Apple Sauce:
• 500g cooking apples
• 25g butter
• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• For the Gravy:
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 450ml meat or vegetable stock

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Take the pork out of the fridge and remove all wrappings. Set on a plate and rub the skin all over with kitchen paper. Leave for half an hour for the skin to dry. If the skin is moist it will not make crackling. Check the skin is evenly scored. If it is not, make further cuts in the flesh with a large, very sharp knife.
2. Brush the skin very lightly with oil, rubbing off any excess with kitchen paper. Rub with the dry rub recipe. Sprinkle the skin with a thin, even layer of salt and a little pepper. Calculate the cooking time, allowing 35 minutes per 500g, plus an extra 35 minutes. Set the joint in a roasting tin and roast for the calculated cooking time.
3. Meanwhile, make the apple sauce. Cut the apples into quarters using a small, sharp knife. Peel, core and slice the quarters then place in a pan with 3 tbsp cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the apples are soft and pulpy.
4. Remove the apples from the heat and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth, then beat in the butter and maple syrup. If the sauce is too thin, return it to the heat and cook gently, stirring until it thickens slightly. Transfer to a serving bowl.
5. When the pork is cooked, remove from the oven and transfer to a large serving plate. Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes while you make the gravy. Using a large spoon, remove as much surface fat from the pan juices as you can. Don't worry if you leave some fat, as it will add flavour. Place the roasting tin on the hob and reheat the juices. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Return to the hob and cook gently for 2 minutes. Gradually add the stock, stirring all the time until the gravy is slightly thickened. Simmer for 5 minutes, then taste and season if necessary.
6. Using a sharp carving knife and a fork to steady the meat, remove the crackling from the joint and place on a board. Cut the cracking into pieces (you can do this with kitchen scissors). Carve the pork into thick slices and serve each portion with some crackling, gravy and a generous spoonful of apple sauce.