2-minute Tip No. 2

For some making pork crackling is an impossible task. For others, health concerns preclude the consumption of such a delicacy. Of course the vegan who gets invited to a roast pork dinner is going feel left out.

Here is a tip which can save the day. Crackling is made easy through the use of tapioca starch. This very fail-proof crackling is just a simple slurry of tapioca starch and water poured into an electric snack maker. Depending on the dish, add seasoning, herbs and spices to suit. Within minutes, the crackling develops blister bubbles and becomes nicely golden brown and crispy just like the real thing, although without the flavouring of oil.

In the example below, Chinese five spice, and garlic, and perhaps some pork stock, are added to imitate the roast belly pork seen in Chinese barbeque shops.



These guilt-free crackling makes a perfect accompanient to Noodle Cook's herbal pork rillette.



For the die-hards who enjoy the taste of oil, then tapioca crackling is not always an alternative. However there is Neil Perry's suggestion on how to make the perfect crackling:

"If you have any trouble getting the crackling to work you can get a saucepan of hot, almost smoking oil on the stove and pour the hot oil gently over the pork skin to complete the crackling when you remove it from the oven; you will see the skin bubble up."

The above suggestion is offered after the following advice:

"Make sure you buy good-quality young pork and remove the pork from the refrigerator about 3 hours before cooking. Using a very sharp knife make cuts in the skin of the pork from the top to the bottom, running in the same direction as the bones, about 3 mm apart. Cut just through the skin but don't go too deep into the flesh. Using your fingers, rub some good quality red wine vinegar into the pork skin. Next, using a massaging action, rub some sea salt into the skin. Set the pork roast aside to dry. It is also possible to just cook crackling without it being attached to the flesh. A good relationship with your local butcher means you can ask for some extra pork skin for your roast."