The age old culinary question, how do you get crispy crackling on your pork? For best results make sure that the rind is dry, rub with sea salt and roast for the initial 10 minutes in a hot oven to cause the fat to begin to bubble out and crisp the rind then lower the oven temperature to moderate for the rest of cooking time. And do not baste with meat juices! For a heavenly gravy sit the joint over a couple of split leeks - they will brown and impart both colour and flavour and may be discarded after making the sauce.

Because the pork and crackling are so deliciously sweet and rich I’m suggesting that you make this simple sauce as a sharp foil for it - the heat from the ginger also works well.

Ingredients - serves 4

1.1kg pork roast
sea salt

1 large Bramley apple, peeled, cored & cut into small dice
3 cm cube of fresh ginger. peeled & finely grated
1 small onion, chopped
25g Riverford Organic Dairy butter
salt & pepper
runny honey, to taste

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C
Rub salt over the skin of the pork and roast for 10 minutes then drop the oven temperature to 180°C for the rest of roasting time (which is as a guide - 30mins/450g plus 30 minutes, but it will also depend on thickness of the joint so test after 1hr 15 minutes and then continue if not cooked). Rest for 10 minutes in a warm place before carving.

2 For the sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan and sweat the onion and ginger together for a few minutes. Add the diced apple and turn in to the mixture with seasoning. Cover and cook until the apple has become tender but not completely collapsed - if you find the sauce too sharp then add a touch of honey to taste.