How to make porchetta

Ingredients

• 2.8 kg piece of pork shoulder, skin on
• 30 gm (1/4 cup) sea salt flakes
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 bunch oregano, leaves picked
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 4 garlic cloves
• For rubbing: olive oil
• 250 ml dry white wine

Instructions

1. 1

   1.: Score pork skin at 1cm-2cm intervals.

2. 2

   2.: Bring a saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Place pork skin-side up in a colander over sink and pour over boiling water, then pat dry with absorbent paper.

3. 3

   3.: Scatter salt over skin, rub into cuts, transfer to a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate, uncovered, until skin is dried (overnight).

4. 4

   4.: Dry-roast fennel seeds in a small frying pan (1 minute).

5. 5

   5.: Crush fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle, add herbs and garlic, crush to a coarse paste and set aside.

6. 6

   6.: Preheat oven to 130C. Place pork skin-side down on a board and make an incision from the centre horizontally outwards through the middle of the meat, stopping short of the end. Repeat with other half of pork then open out to make one long flat piece.

7. 7

   7.: Spread with herb mixture, fold in ends, roll to enclose tightly and turn pork skin-side up.

8. 8

   8.: Tie at intervals with kitchen string, rub with oil and roast in a roasting pan until pork is just cooked and juices run clear when meat is pierced (3-3½ hours).

9. 9

   9.: Increase oven to 250C. Drain fat (reserve for roast potatoes; see recipe below), add wine to pan (but not over pork) and roast until skin crackles (20-30 minutes). Set aside in a warm place to rest (30 minutes), remove crackling, carve meat, and serve meat and crackling hot with pan juices and roast potatoes.