Simon Gault's Pork Shoulder Roast with Crackling

Ingredients

• 1kg 100% NZ __pork shoulder, rolled
• 3x medium potatoes (peeled and cut into 6)
• 2x onions (peeled and halved)
• 2x orange kumara (peeled and cut into 2cm cubes)
• ¼ pumpkin (skin on and cut into 2 cm thick slices)
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Carrots, peas, silverbeet or any other vegetables you like, prepared as you wish.

Method

Step 1

Preparing the pork

• Place your shoulder of __pork skin side up onto a roasting tray large enough to accommodate your roasted vegetables.
• With a small sharp knife make scores through the skin into the fat (but not into the meat), about a centimetre apart.
• Rub salt into the skin and the scores and season the underside of the shoulder with salt and pepper.
• Place your shoulder of pork into a preheated oven at 210°C for 35 minutes.

Step 2

Cooking the vegetables

• Remove the pork from the oven and baste using the fat from the bottom of the pan. Add the vegetables and return the tray to the oven for a further 35 minutes.
• Remove the meat and vegetables to a serving dish and allow to rest while you make your gravy.

Making the gravy

• Remove the fat and dissolve the crusty remains in the roasting pan by adding some water and heating the pan on the hob.
• Mix your flour with cold water, stirring to produce a smooth mixture - the consistency of cream. Add the mixture to the hot pan juices, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps.
• Season with salt and pepper, strain if you want to remove any bits from the roasting pan, then set aside.

Step 3

Plating up

• Slice the meat and place onto a platter with the roasted vegetables.
• Pour the gravy over the meat and serve.