Julie Goodwin's roast pork belly bliss in time for Christmas

Bonne Maman fruit spreads with loads of fruit and less sugar make a beautiful addition to a whole lot of savoury dishes too.

MasterChef fan favourite Julie Goodwin has created this yummy crispy pork belly recipe using Bonne Maman's apricot spread to create the perfect crispy pork belly just in time for Christmas.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours

Ingredients

1 kilo piece boneless pork belly

Bonne Maman More Fruit Reduced Sugar Apricot Spread 335gm

1 brown onion, in 3 thick slices

1 whole head of garlic, halved horizontally

400ml chicken stock

4-5 branches of thyme

1 tablespoon corn flour

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1-2 teaspoons sea salt flakes

Method:

Crispy Pork Belly

Dry the pork skin and if required, leave it uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours prior to cooking

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Celsius

Score the rind using a Stanley knife, cutting into the fat, but not the flesh

Rub the pork rind with a little olive oil and massage the salt thoroughly into it

Place the onion, garlic and thyme into the base of a small roasting pan and place the pork belly on top

Place into the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the skin begins to puff up and look crisp

Turn the oven down to 140 degrees Celsius and continue to roast uncovered for a further 2 hours.

Remove from the oven and rest

Apricot Sauce

Scrape up any tasty bit from the base of the pan to use in the sauce

Place a strain into a saucepan and pour in the stock from the oven dish

Whisk in the corn flour, chicken stock and the Bonne Maman More Fruit Reduced Sugar Apricot Spread until the sauce thickens

Pour into a gravy jug for serving and enjoy