Porchetta is the Christmas centrepiece that gets the reaction, because the crackling goes all the way round. It is also easier than it looks. Our free range Berkshire porchetta comes stuffed with herbs, rolled and tied, so most of the work is already done.

Serves: 6
What to order: a 2.5kg or 5kg free range porchetta, stuffed and rolled
Prep: 30 minutes, plus 24 to 72 hours dry-brining  |  Cook: 2 hours  |  Rest: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Porchetta and roast vegetables

• 3kg free range porchetta, stuffed and rolled with herbs
• 2 to 3 tbsp fine sea salt, for dry-brining
• Flaky salt, for the crackling
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• ½ cup white wine
• 6 large potatoes, halved lengthways
• 2 large onions, cut into 2cm rounds
• ½ bulb garlic, cloves separated, skin on
• 4 to 5 sprigs rosemary
• 1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed

Salsa verde

• 1 bunch parsley, leaves finely chopped
• 1 bunch mint, leaves finely chopped
• ½ bunch tarragon, leaves finely chopped
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 4 anchovies, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Start dry-brining one to two days before you cook. Pat the skin dry with paper towel, then rub fine sea salt all over it. Sit the pork on a wire rack over a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 24 to 72 hours. The longer it dries, the better the crackling.
2. On the day, take the pork out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking so it comes to room temperature. Wipe off the salt and pat the skin dry again. A little salt left in the scoring is fine.
3. Preheat the oven to 220°C fan-forced.
4. Toss the potatoes, onion, garlic and rosemary with olive oil, salt and pepper, and spread them over the base of a large roasting tray to make a trivet. Sit the porchetta on top, or on a wire rack above the vegetables. Rub the skin lightly with olive oil and season generously with flaky salt. Pour in the white wine.
5. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until the skin blisters and crackles. Watch it closely, because it can burn quickly.
6. Once the crackling has formed, reduce the oven to 170°C and roast for another 1½ to 2 hours, until the internal temperature reaches 70°C. Add the carrots for the final 45 minutes.
7. Transfer the porchetta to a board and rest it uncovered for 20 minutes. Covering it will soften the crackling. While it rests, turn the oven back to 220°C and return the vegetables to crisp up.
8. Make the salsa verde. Combine the herbs, shallots, garlic and anchovies in a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and vinegar, then the olive oil. Season to taste. It can be made a few hours ahead.
9. Slice the porchetta into 2cm rounds, using a serrated knife to cut through the crackling. Serve with the roast vegetables and plenty of salsa verde.

How do you get crackling on porchetta?

Dry skin and high heat, in that order. The dry-brine pulls moisture out of the skin over a day or two in the fridge, which is the part most people skip. Then the first 20 to 30 minutes at 220°C does the work. If you go straight to a moderate oven you get leather, not crackling. More on that in roast pork with crunchy crackle.

What temperature should porchetta be cooked to?

70°C internal. Use a meat thermometer rather than a clock. A 3kg rolled loin will usually take about two hours once the heat comes down, but every oven is different.

How much porchetta per person?

Around 350g to 400g a head on the bone-out weight, which is roughly 3kg for six with something left over. If you are working out the whole table, Christmas lunch, hour by hour sets out the timing around it.

Another way with porchetta

Julia Busuttil Nishimura's version is served sliced and stuffed into a panino. Worth a look at Porchetta with Ostro, or our own porchetta and herb stuffing recipe.

Ask us

Tell us how many you are feeding and we will size the porchetta for you. Available at all six stores, or order online.