Pork belly, octopus, squid, mussel consommé

Adam Handling

Adam Handling

3rd November 2014
Adam Handling

Pork belly, octopus, squid, mussel consommé

With a selection of delicious pork cuts available, cooking methods and flavour pairings are exceptionally varied when it comes to pork recipes. Take a look at the Pork belly, octopus, squid, mussel consommé recipe below, as tried and tested by professional chefs - Why not give it a try? From Adam Handling, chef patron at The Frog E1, Bean & Wheat and Frog by Adam Handling in Covent Garden.

Ingredients

  • CURING THE PORK BELLY:
  • 700g piece pork belly
  • 75g salt
  • 35g sugar
  • 2 black peppercorns
  • 1 litre water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • ½ medium carrot, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • ½ leek, white only, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • ½ small onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • COOKING THE PORK BELLY:
  • 1 brined pork belly
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 peppercorns
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • FOR THE OCTOPUS:
  • 1 octopus
  • 100ml olive oil
  • FOR THE DULSE PICKLE:
  • 125g dulse, chopped
  • 100ml water
  • 25ml Sauterne wine
  • 10ml white wine vinegar
  • 7g sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • CONFIT LEMON:
  • 4 large un-waxed Italian lemons
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 5g salt
  • FOR THE MUSSEL CONSOMMÉ:
  • 3kg mussels
  • 1 litre white wine
  • 100ml vegetable oil
  • 40ml dark soy
  • 80ml mirin
  • FOR THE GARNISH:
  • Crispy pork skin
  • Sea herbs

Method

CURING THE PORK BELLY:
Mix the salt, sugar and peppercorns in a large container
Heat about 250ml of the water and add the dry mixture, stirring to dissolve to make a brine
Add the remaining water, vegetables and herbs
Chill the brine
Remove the skin from the pork belly and reserve
Add the pork belly to the brine and refrigerate overnight
Remove the pork from the brine and brush off the extra seasoning
COOKING THE PORK BELLY:
Place the pork in an oven safe dish with all remaining ingredients
Cook at 140°C for 4-5 hours
Once cooked, remove from oven and press overnight then refrigerate
Remove any excess fat from the top of the meat, leaving a thin layer of fat
Finish the pork belly by cutting it in straight-edged blocks
Roast on a high heat in a frying pan, skin-side down until crispy
FOR THE OCTOPUS:
Remove tentacles from the octopus
Boil the octopus whole for 1 hour 45 minutes with the olive oil
When cooked, remove from the heat and place in ice cold water to chill down
Using a small knife remove outside skin keeping suckers intact
Individually portion into 6 inch pieces
Lay on grease proof paper until needed
FOR THE DULSE PICKLE:
Chop the dulse into 2cm pieces
Place all the ingredients, except the dulse, into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer
Remove from the heat and add the dulse
Allow to cool then place in the fridge to marinate for
24 hours
CONFIT LEMON:
Cut the lemons into segments with the rind on
Mix with the sugar and salt
Wrap in tin foil and bake in the oven 40 minutes at 140°C
Chill in the fridge and then dice into chunks when ready to serve
FOR THE MUSSEL CONSOMMÉ:
Heat a wok until smoking
Add the vegetable oil and once smoking add a handful of mussels and smoke with a blowtorch
Once it stops smoking, add a splash of white wine
Cover with a lid until mussels are cooked and open
Repeat until you have used all the mussels
Add the remaining white wine
Once the mussel stock has smoked, pass through a fine sieve, add the dark soy and mirin and season to taste
Hang in coffee strainer overnight and do not force through.
FOR THE GARNISH:
Crispy pork skin
Sea herbs

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