Pork belly comfort food menu

The menu

• Main course

  Roast belly of pork with root vegetables

• Side dishes

  Devilish red cabbage

• Side dishes

  Champ

• Desserts

  Banoffee pie

Menu ingredients

Serves 6

• Fruit and vegetables

  • 1 whole garlic, sliced in half

  • 4 parsnips, cut into long wedges

  • 400g/14¼oz carrots

  • 6 whole shallots

  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 55g/2oz spinach

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 450g/1lb red cabbage, shredded

  • 225g/8oz cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced

  • 2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

  • 1.35kg/3lb potatoes, well scrubbed and left whole in their jackets

  • 1 large bunch spring onions, finely chopped

  • 3 large bananas, chopped

• Tins, packets and jars

  • 400g/14fl oz can condensed milk

  • 125ml/4fl oz coconut milk

• Cooking ingredients

  • 4 tbsp cider vinegar

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil

  • pinch of ground cinnamon or allspice

  • 150ml/¼pt vegetable stock

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • salt and white pepper

  • 100g/3½oz caster sugar

  • 230g/8oz pecans, halved

  • cocoa powder, for dusting

  • 125g/4oz soft light brown sugar

• Biscuits, snacks and sweets

  • 150g/5 oz digestive biscuits, crushed

• Dairy, eggs and chilled

  • 3 tbsp pork dripping or butter

  • 290ml/½ pint milk

  • 85g/3oz butter

  • 100g/3½oz unsalted butter

  • 75g/3oz butter, melted

  • 250ml/10½oz double cream, whipped until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed

  • 125g/4oz unsalted butter

• Meat, fish and poultry

  • 1.8 kg/3lb 15½oz belly pork, skin on

• Other

  • 8 bay leaves, crushed