Crispy Thai Garlic Pork Belly

 

Ingredients: (serves 2)

240 g. pork belly (without skin and cut into bite-size pieces)

3 garlic cloves (peeled)

2 coriander roots

1 tsp. white peppercorns

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tbsp. oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp. fish sauce

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/2 cup cornflour

1 tbsp. crispy fried garlic

Coriander leaves (to garnish)

Cooking oil (for deep-frying)

Methods:

1. Using a mortar and pestle, pound garlic, coriander roots, peppercorns and salt into a rough paste.  Place the paste in a medium bowl along with pork belly, oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar.
2. Fill a saucepan or wok to about 1/3 capacity with cooking oil.  Heat oil over high heat.  To check whether the oil is hot enough to fry, dip a wooden chopstick into the oil, and small little bubbles will appear around the chopstick.
3. When the oil is hot, take half the pork belly and coat with half of the cornflour.  Toss until well combined.  Dust off the excess flour and carefully place into the hot oil.  Turn over if the bottom side is golden and let the other side continue to fry until golden.  Remove the pork belly to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off excess oil.  Repeat with the remaining pork belly and flour.
4. To serve, transfer the fried pork belly to a serving plate.  Sprinkle with crispy fried garlic and coriander leaves.

This recipe is adapted from 'Marion's Kitchen' with slight adjustment to suit my cooking preference.  You can use chicken to make this dish too.