Most people don’t realise that pork belly is incredibly easy to cook. You can season it with all sorts of different things but when it comes down to it, it’s all about the crispy crackling and tender meat. The rice I serve with the pork belly is inspired by the salty, sweet and fresh flavours of Thailand. It’s best to use rice that has been cooked and cooled in the fridge for a stir fry, it won’t clump together in the pan the way freshly cooked rice would.

Serves 4
2kg pork belly
1 tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
Sea salt

For the rice:
300g of leftover basmati rice, cooked and cooled
6 large spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
A generous handful of coriander, roughly chopped
1 large red chilli, finely chopped
1 large thumb sized piece of ginger, finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
200g of green beans or tenderstem brocolli
2 teaspoons of caster sugar
3 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 tablespoon of soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 160˚C.

Pat the pork belly completely dry with kitchen paper and then rub with sea salt and peppercorns all over.

Place on a wire wrack set over a roasting dish. Place in the oven to cook for 3 hours.

Turn the heat to 220˚C and cook for a further 15 minutes until the crackling is crispy.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest while you prepare the rice. When you are ready, using a bread knife, cut through the crispy skin in 1cm slices.

Heat the oil in a large wok until just about smoking. Add in the ginger, garlic, spring onions and chilli and fry for about 30 seconds until aromatic.

Add in the green beans or broccoli and fry for 2 minutes. Add in the rice and stir through. Season with the fish sauce, caster sugar and soy sauce and fry for a further 3 minutes.

Toss through the coriander and serve alongside slices of the pork belly.

The post Crispy Pork Belly with Thai Fried Rice first appeared on Donal Skehan | EAT LIVE GO.

One of my favourite cocktails is a mojito and, you guessed it, this recipe was thought up after one too many! But it was an experiment that paid off.

Serves 4
4 chicken breasts
1 garlic clove
4–5 tablespoons of rum
Juice of 2 limes
2 limes quartered
1 tablespoon of olive oil
A small handful of fresh mint
A generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Chop the mint and garlic finely and place in a large resealable bag. Add the rum, lime juice, oil, salt and pepper to the bag.

I butterfly the chicken breasts so they cook quicker and the garlic doesn’t burn.

To do this, place one hand on the breast and with the other slice through the thickest part, making sure the breast stays attached on one side.

Put the chicken in the bag and seal. Toss the chicken around in the bag and make sure the breasts are covered in the mint and garlic mixture.

Leave in the fridge preferably overnight, or you can make in the morning and leave for the day.

To cook the chicken, heat a pan over a high heat and fry the breasts and marinade for about 3–5 minutes on either side, depending on the size of the chicken breasts.

Tumble in the lime quarters after you turn the chicken and allow to caramelise on all sides. Serve straightaway with a tasty side salad, couscous and a final squeeze of juice from the caramelised lime quarters.

The post Mojito Lime Chicken first appeared on Donal Skehan | EAT LIVE GO.