I drew inspiration to make this dish, from the asian surroundings I am currently involved with. Working in a japanese restaurant makes certain ingredients available that I might not have had otherwise. That being the case, I took a pound of pork belly, and braised it in soy sauce, mirin, scallions, sake, and some garlic for 5 hours. Halfway through the cooking process, I placed the belly in the oven, at 350 degrees, covered. I strained the sauce, then skimmed the fat off the top, then reduced it while skimming as well. I placed the pork belly, in the strained sauce and held it in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, I make the puree by peeling and chopping one celeriac, then boiling in salted water till fork tender. I blended this with half a stick of butter, and 6 ounces of cream, 2T of kosher salt, and a little black pepper. This was reserved as well, then reheated for plating.
I poached the baby carrots in buerre monte until fork tender, and used the remaining shaved parts, as well as the ferns for a salad. When I cook, I try to used all that I can, for monetary as well as practical sustainable reasons. That being said, I tossed the shavings and ferns in some white balsamic, and olive oil, and placed it on the side. I took out the pork belly, and began to assemble the dish.
