By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 34
360 cal · 180 min
Roast Pork Belly with Fondant Potatoes and Pickled Onions
Recipe GLPRe6d79e951df7a9
A sophisticated main course featuring a bone-in pork belly with crispy scored skin, roasted alongside buttery fondant potatoes and tangy pickled onions. The pork is seasoned with a aromatic blend of thyme, mace, and star anise, then slowly roasted until the skin crackles. The potatoes are crisped in the pan alongside the pork, absorbing savory juices, while pickled onions add brightness and acidity to the rich meat.
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Ingredients
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground mace
1 star anise, ground to powder
1 tbsp sea salt flakes
2.5 kg bone-in pork belly, skin scored
50g butter, softened
12 medium Maris Piper potatoes
1 bunch fresh thyme
454g pickled onions, drained
125ml chicken stock
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the dried thyme, ground mace, powdered star anise, and sea salt flakes. Rub this seasoning mixture evenly over the entire surface of the scored pork belly. If time permits, transfer the seasoned pork to a tray, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours to allow the flavors to penetrate; this step is optional but recommended for deeper flavor.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/gas 7). Butter a large roasting tin with the softened butter. Trim a thin lengthwise slice from two opposite sides of each potato to create flat surfaces, then arrange them in a single even layer in the buttered tin. Scatter the fresh thyme and drained pickled onions over the potatoes, then pour the chicken stock into the tin.
Place the seasoned pork belly skin-side up directly on top of the potatoes. Roast at 220°C for 30 minutes until the skin begins to crisp. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (160°C fan/gas 4) and continue roasting for 1 hour and 30 minutes until the skin is completely crisp. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes (the internal temperature should reach 165°F).
Return the roasting tin containing the potatoes and pickled onions to the oven and increase the temperature to 200°C (180°C fan/gas 6). Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are golden and crisp on top. Carve the rested pork into generous squares using a sharp bread knife if desired. Serve the carved pork alongside the fondant potatoes and caramelized pickled onions.
Comments
This is a special-occasion dish, not weeknight fare: the 180 minutes stated time ignores the three-hour roast itself plus the hands-on fondant potato work, making it closer to four hours total with plating demands. The 34-serving yield suggests restaurant or catering work, which changes the math entirely—ingredient costs drop per plate at that scale, but a home cook plating half that amount faces waste and storage problems. Sea salt, mace, star anise, and thyme are all common at Harris Teeter and Food Lion, and pork belly is widely stocked, but the fondant potato technique requires constant oven attention and precise butter ratios that punish distraction. The pickled onions work beautifully for leftovers and cut the richness, but this dish lands best as a planned weekend project for a crowd, not a spontaneous dinner.
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