UK Restaurant Guide

I had belly pork in a restaurant recently that really was wonderful. The meat melted in the mouth and the crackling really crackled. How is this achieved please? I have a 1.5kg belly pork in the freezer, ready scored by the butcher, so how is the best way to cook it? - Eileen Mohide

Dear Eileen, we have long been fans of the often overlooked belly pork, an ingredient which still offers excellent value for money to both consumers and restaurateurs alike. At present we are pairing the tenderloin with the belly pork and serving it with roasted and puree butternut squash, confit orange syrup and sage and roasted pink with apple potatoes as part of our totally Devon experience and it's a very popular choice amongst our clientele.

We buy our pork boneless and trimmed of excess fat. Belly pork is in my mind best cooked for long periods of time very slowly either in fat (confit style) or in stock (a slow braise, preferably pork stock with some simple aromatics depending on what you want from your finished dish, eg soy sauce and ginger for an oriental influence). It goes without saying that of course to make a really great pork dish one must start with really great pork. British, of course, but look for the red tractor symbol and if possible free range or take a trip to the local farmers markets where no doubt there will local rare breed pork for sale. Pork is bred leaner than it used to be which makes good crackling a little more of a challenge. Be sure to ask your butcher to finely score the skin to help overcome this. To achieve good crackling it is important to salt the pork rind prior to cooking using a fine salt rubbing it into the skin and deep into the incisions -this could be done even the night before, thus removing any excess moisture. You will see beads of moisture on the skins surface, pat the skin dry thoroughly with a clean tea towel or wad of kitchen paper and prior to cooking sprinkle liberally with some Maldon sea salt.

For a simple roast belly of pork with crackling -- roughly a 2kg boneless piece of pork belly will serve 4/6 -- begin the cooking on a very high heat. We begin at 250 degrees and reduce to a far more sensible 150 degreees after 20 minutes for a further 2 hours. Be brave and temporarily turn off the smoke alarms if necessary as your bravery will be rewarded with superb crisp crackling. Be sure to allow to rest in a warm place for 15 minutes before serving. If your crackling isn't quite crisp when it comes out of the oven, remove it in one piece, turn it upside down on your chopping board and scrape of the fat beneath using a spoon, place it roasted side up and return to the hottest part of the oven for a further 10 minutes. Best regards, Matthew

I want to make a really healthy slice but I don't know how to bind the ingredients so it's not crumbly. I didn't want a cooked slice but would consider it. The ingredients I want to use are crushed or ground nuts (including LSA and almond meal), phsylium husks, dried and fresh fruits, rolled oats, coconut, various seeds, spices and honey. Can you tell me how to make my perfect slice? - View Answer

Is there a huge difference in the flavour of English, Welsh and New Zealand lamb as my sister claims that she can tell the difference? Also which cuts have the most flavour? - View Answer

How do you make whisky sauce to go with chicken stuffed with haggis. - View Answer

Hi Matthew, hope you can help - we are having guests over on Sunday and instead of a traditional roast, I am going to cook fish (starting with chilled shellfish and aioli). I would like to try gurnard for the main course but want something that tastes/looks great but will not involve a great deal of last minute prep. Would like to keep in the general Mediterranean theme. Any suggestions for a dish with accompaniments would be welcomed as would your speedy reply if you can. - View Answer

I recently had a meal in a local restaurant and ordered the Spiced crab, avocado, prawns, ginger and pink grapefruit. It tasted fine apart from the prawns were completely tasteless. When I questioned it, I was told that they were poached to remove the flavour and were only on the plate for texture as they didn't want them to overpower the crab. Am I being ignorant, or would this be the case? I am sure there must be something else that would have complimented the crab and given texture? - View Answer

Hiya, just a quick question on spring/summertime desserts. What do you suggest/recommend as a quick, easy dish that can be prepped to order, is seasonal and minimises waste?! I've done all sorts over the years, from rustic/de-constructed cheesecakes, to your run of the mill summer puds, but wanted to try something new! - View Answer

Liquid glucose, where or how do I get it so it's like a thick paste, not liquid? - View Answer

I have a friend staying over in Australia for a few months from Manchester and I would like to know what to cook for her for back home 'comfort' food. That is something to make her feel like she's back home without being there, if you get what I mean. - View Answer

My British boyfriend, who lives here in the US, longs for the genuine apple pie that he can only find in England when he visits once a year. He calls the American version 'cinnamon pie with chunks of apple'. Do you have a recipe for apple pie -- sans the cinnamon and cloves -- that I could make for him? Thank you! - View Answer

Sweetbreads - I used to love these in restaurants many years ago yet they are now rarely on menus. Please could you let me have an exciting recipe for them? - View Answer

I watched the programme Edwardian Farm and scones called Cut Rounds were made. Have you a recipe for these? - View Answer

Please recommend the best oil for use in a chip fryer - View Answer

Hi Matthew, do you have a good steak and kidney pudding recipe please? - View Answer

Which side of the aluminium foil should you put next to the food -- is it the dull side showing on the outside of the dish/food? Does it really make any difference? I tend to think the shiny side reflects the heat more so put that facing the food for cooking and the dull side for wrapping to store. Or am I just being picky!!?? - View Answer

Hi from the Half Moon Inn, Clayhidon. What to do with foie-gras? We see you have a duck confit terrine with foie gras on the menu at Jack in the Green. Any chance of sharing this recipe please? - View Answer

Hi Matthew, I run the restored Orangery Cafe at Tapeley Park in Instow and sell a lot of cream teas. We do make scones, but as the cafe is set in a vintage style and I wanted as much on the menu to be traditional Devon recipes, I have been serving Cut Rounds as advised by several local elderly people that this is how cream teas were served throughout their childhoods. As Cut Rounds are basically a bread roll, I wanted to write an explanation to customers but can't seem to find anything on the web. Can you help at all? - View Answer

I'd like to make watercress soup - have you got a good recipe? I want to retain as much colour and goodness as possible. - View Answer

I bought some venison from my local butcher at the weekend and realised I have no idea what to season it with. What's the best way to bring out the flavour of the meat? - View Answer

It's my wedding anniversary soon and I want to cook something easy yet stylish. Any ideas would be a help? - View Answer

Just wondered why the crust on my Beef Wellington always goes soggy, no matter how hot I make the oven. Please help! - View Answer

Last Sunday, I enjoyed a lamb shank at your restaurant and wanted to recreate the dish at home however my local supermarket only had New Zealand lamb and no shanks whatsoever. - View Answer