'Similar to confit in cooking technique, these meaty snacks hail from the Touraine region of France and are ever so slightly addictive. Forget bowls of nuts in front of the television - a bowl of these and a glass of wine is the way forward.' - Richard H. Turner
Recipe from HOG published by Mitchell Beazley
Ingredients - serves 4-6 as a snack
1kg pork belly (the thick end) skin on and boned, cut into 4 cm cubes
50 Maldon sea salt flakes
a pinch of hot smoked paprika
300g lard
200ml dry white wine
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 large sprig of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
8 white peppercorns
200ml water
Method
Sprinkle the pork belly cubes with the sea salt and smoked paprika, cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 150°C/gas mark 2. Rinse the salt from the pork and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Heat a frying pan over a high heat, add a little of the lard and fry the pork until brown all over.
Place in one layer in an ovenproof dish, add the wine, bay leaf, garlic, thyme, rosemary, peppercorns, the remaining lard and the water and bake in the oven for 1½ hours.
Once tender, remove from the oven and the leave the pork to cool in the fat.
Refrigerate for a few days before using. To use, fry the rillons in their own fat until crisp.
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