Woodall’s British charcuterie platter with Cumberland ring and crackling straws
Ingredients
for the crackling straws
1kg pork loin rind
4 tbsps table salt
for the pickled red onions
100ml cider vinegar
1 orange juice and zest
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
6 black peppercorns
2 medium red onions, peeled and sliced
for the pancetta crisps
100g Woodall’s pancetta
for the Cumberland ring
2 tbsps vegetable oil
1 x Woodall’s 94% Cumberland ring
to serve
1 sourdough loaf, sliced into thick slices
2 tbsp olive oil
70g Woodall’s Norfolk Mustard Salami
70g Woodall’s Royale Ham
200g mature cheddar cheese, cut into wedges
4 tbsps English mustard
160g lamb’s lettuce, washed and dried
Method
To make the crackling straws, pre-heat an oven to 240°C/475°F/gas mark 9. Place the pork, rind side down, on a chopping board. Using a very sharp knife cut 1cm wide strips of rind and place them on a non-stick baking tray, rind side up. Sprinkle with the table salt. Place in the oven for 25-35 minutes until the rind is crisp and golden brown. Transfer to another tray lined with kitchen towel to soak up any excess fat.
To pickle the onions, place the cider vinegar, orange juice and zest, mustard seeds, fennel seeds and black peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring to the boil on a medium heat to allow the spices to infuse into the liquid. Once boiled remove from the heat and put the sliced onions into the liquor, ensuring they are fully covered. Place a lid on the pan and leave for 1 hour at room temperature to pickle.
To make the pancetta crisps, line a baking sheet with non-stick greaseproof paper and place the strips of pancetta on the tray, spaced apart. Place another sheet of non-stick greaseproof paper on top followed by another baking tray to keep the pancetta flat while cooking. Using the same pre-heated oven at 240°C/475°F/gas mark 9, bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp and golden brown. Transfer the pancetta crisps to another tray lined with kitchen towel to soak off any excess fat.
To cook the Cumberland ring, pre-heat an oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Place a griddle pan over a medium heat. Coat the ring with the vegetable oil. Place the Cumberland ring in the hot pan and cook for 4 minutes on each side without moving the sausage so you get good griddle marks. Put the ring on a non-stick tray and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes until cooked through and the skins are crisp and golden brown.
To serve, pre-heat an oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Place the sourdough slices on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Place the tray in the oven to lightly toast the bread for 3 minutes. Place the salamis, ham and cheese on a board, cover with cling film and leave to come to room temperature for 10 minutes; this allows the flavours to develop. Add the rest of the components to the board and serve.