Battered Mushrooms

 Battered Mushrooms 

1 cup flour

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1 cup cold water 

2 tbsp cooking oil 

1 egg, slightly beaten 

2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced into bite sized pieces 

Cooking oil for deep frying 

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, cheese, salt and garlic powder. Stir in the water, oil and egg & beat until smooth. Pat the mushrooms dry. 

Heat oil in a deep pot until 365 degrees. Dip mushrooms in batter and fry a few mushrooms at a time until golden, approximately 3 minutes, turning once. Drain on paper towel, salt lightly and serve. 

Roasted Crispy Pork Belly

 Roasted Crispy Pork Belly

This pork belly is roasted so the fat renders and cooks the pork belly confit style in its own fat,  It’s absolutely juicy and tender with an amazing crispy crackling. 

2 lb pork belly approximately 1.5” thick

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt 

1/4 tsp pepper 

Place pork belly on a plate skin side up and pat dry with paper towel. Dry pork belly overnight in the fridge uncovered for best results. If you don’t have time pat dry as best you can. 

Preheat oven to 285 degrees. Rub pork belly with olive oil and season on all sides with salt and pepper. Using 2 pieces of foil wrap create an open box the size of your pork belly and place in a baking dish. 

Place in the oven and roast for a total of  2 1/2 hours, removing from oven after 1 1/2 hours to tighten your foil wrap box to ensure the pork fat is as high as possible keeping your pork belly protected to keep the flesh moist. 

Remove from oven and reset oven temperature to 465 degrees. Place the pork belly on a raised rack on a baking sheet and place foil wrap balls under the pork belly to ensure it is even. 

Return to oven and roast an additional 30 minutes turning after 15 minutes until the crackling is deep golden and crispy all over. 

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.