Roast Pork, Cloves & Bay Leaves Crackling

My centrepiece for Christmas.

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in pork loin, weighing approximately 2 kilos
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 15 whole cloves
• 10 bay leaves
• Maldon sea salt flakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Use a sharp knife to score the pork skin with diagonal cuts.  You can ask your butcher to do this or most supermarkets sell it ready.
3. Pour boiling water over the pork skin and then dry well with a paper towel.
4. Rub the rind with the salt flakes, olive oil and push the cloves and bay leaves into  the skin.
5. Place the pork loin, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan and cook for about 1 hour.  If the skin is crisp and golden press a skewer into the meat and check if the juices are free of blood.
6. When the pork is cooked, transfer it to a serving dish and leave in a warm place to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
7. Remove the crackling from the pork, and serve separately.

1. Serve the pork with caramelized pears, roast potatoes and roast pumpkin.

TIPS

• Do not over cook the pork it should be slightly pink and moist.