Juicy porchetta, crisp, salty crackling and sweet caramelised apples is a flavour combination made in heaven. Add to that a beautiful blue cheese and pear salad and you’ve got a truly mouthwatering dish.

The key to ensuring the porchetta is beautifully tender inside with an incredible crackling on the outside is by taking it up to temperature slowly and on a low heat. We used our DOT Digital Oven Thermometer to keep an eye on the internal temperature and alert us once it reached 82°C, then double checked the temperature throughout with the Thermapen.

Temperatures

Use the DOT Digital Oven Thermometer to keep an eye on the internal temperature and alert us once it reached 82°C, then double check the temperature throughout with the Thermapen.

Ingredients

For the porchetta

• 2kg piece bone-in, skin-on pork (roughly 225g per person), fat trimmed to 1/4 in thickness and skin scored all over
• 4 tsp cumin seeds
• 5 smoked garlic cloves
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 60ml olive oil
• Seasoning

For the apples

• 3 red eating apples
• 8 small 30g butter
• 30g brown sugar
• 8 cloves garlic
• 6 tbsp olive oil

For the salad

• 200-300g blue cheese, crumbled (50g per person)
• 200g rocket
• 3 pears, cut into batons

Directions

Method for the porchetta

• Blend the garlic, lemon zest, cumin seeds, salt and black pepper together. Pour in the oil.
• Rub all over pork. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
• Remove the pork from fridge 1 to 2 hours before cooking it.
• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C fan / gas 7.
• Transfer the pork to a deep baking sheet and roast for 35 minutes.
• Reduce the temperature to 170°C / 150°C fan / gas 3.
• Cook until the meat comes to an internal temperature of 82°C. We used the DOT Digital Oven Thermometer to alert us once the temperature was reached.

To make the apples

• Core the apples and slice into 3 cm slices.
• Gently heat the butter and pop the sliced apples into the pan.
• Add the sugar and allow both sides to gently caramelise.

Method for the salad

• Toss all of the ingredients together.
• Serve with the caramelised apple, some sliced pork and a piece of crackling.

Laura Tulloch

Thermapen Chef & Caterer

@laura_sussexfoodie

"I love my Thermapen, it really helps me cook with confidence. As a caterer the health and safety of everyone you cook for is paramount, but that doesn't mean you have to compromise with your cooking. A simple reassuring check with the Thermapen throughout the process is all that's needed to allow you to enjoy, and confidently serve what you've made."