Porchetta-style roast pork with herb-roasted vegetables recipe

1. For the pork, remove the packaging and string and pat dry with kitchen paper. Lay it skin side up on a chopping board lined with kitchen paper and set aside for 1 hour for the pork to come to room temperature and to allow the skin to dry out.
2. Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds in a small frying pan over a medium heat for 2 mins until aromatic. Leave to cool slightly, then add to a mini food processor with the thyme, rosemary, garlic, crushed chillies, lemon zest and juice and 2 tbsp olive oil, and some seasoning. Blitz until you have a rough paste – it should be spreadable but with some larger pieces of herbs left. Alternatively, use a pestle and mortar to do this. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Lightly score the pork skin in a diagonal pattern, making sure not to go all the way through to the meat. Lay the pork on a chopping board skin side-down with one of the shorter ends facing you. Using a sharp knife, cut into the meat on one of the longer sides horizontally, about halfway up, so that you can open it up like a book. Don’t cut all the way through as you want it to all stay in one piece. Open it up and spread the herby mixture across it, then tightly roll it up and tie with kitchen twine at roughly 2cm intervals.
4. Lay the pork skin side-up in a large, high sided roasting tin, ideally one that can safely go on the hob to make the gravy. Drizzle over the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, season generously with salt and pour 300ml water around it. Roast for 15 mins, then reduce the oven temperature to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Roast for a further 1 hr 30 mins. Cover any edges with foil if they are starting to burn.
5. Meanwhile, add the broccoli to a wide baking tray, drizzle with the oil and season; toss together and set aside. Put the carrots on a separate tray, then add the thyme, drizzle with the oil and season. Toss together and set aside.
6. About 30 mins before the pork is done, put the potatoes in a pan of water, covered, and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 7-8 mins until the edges are just tender when poked with a knife. Drain really well, then leave to steam in the colander for 10 mins. At this point, add the olive oil to a wide low-sided baking tray and put in the oven to heat up. Return the potatoes to the pan and add the oregano, season, then cover with the lid and carefully shake to fluff up the edges of the potatoes.
7. Once the pork has been cooking for 1 hr 30 mins, increase the oven temperature to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C and continue to roast the pork for 15 mins or until the skin is deep golden brown and really crispy. Meanwhile, carefully remove the tray with the oil from the oven and add the potatoes, turning them in the oil to fully coat. Put them in the oven with the carrots, roasting both of these for 45-50 mins, turning halfway through cooking time. The potatoes should be deep golden brown and crispy and the carrots should be tender and golden brown around the edges.
8. Once the pork is done, set aside to rest while the vegetables roast but do not cover it as this will make the skin less crispy.
9. When the potatoes and carrots have about 20 mins of cooking left, put the broccoli in the oven. Roast for 10 mins, then scatter over the Parmesan and roast for 5 mins more until the cheese is melted and turning golden. Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar, then return to the oven for 2-3 mins, until sticky and tender.
10. To serve, remove the string, then cut off roughly a third of the pork (450g) for the pork ragu with tagliatelle recipe – this piece can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Set aside 100g of the roasted carrots for the pork ragu – these can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cut the larger piece of pork into 4 even slices, then serve with the roast potatoes, broccoli, carrots and gravy, of you like.

Cook once, eat twice tip: Use leftovers from this recipe for our Pork ragu with tagliatelle.

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