Braised Cabbage & Pork Belly

• 1.2kg pork belly
• ¼ large Chinese cabbage
• Crushed white peppercorns
• 3 star anise
• 5 dried chillies
• 1½ inch piece ginger, finely sliced
• salt
• 3 spring onions
• 4 stalks celery leaf
  
  
• 50g dried shitake mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 dried chillies
• ½ inch piece ginger sliced
• 2 tblspn oyster sauce
• 50ml soy sauce.
• 30ml Shaoxing wine
  coriander, celery leaf & spring onion, chopped to garnish
  
  

In a saucepan combine shitakes, 2 garlic cloves, dried chillies, sliced ginger, oyster sauce, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine and then add 500ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for ½ hour. Remove mushrooms reserving the liquid.

Slice pork belly into thin strips and layer with cabbage and season with white pepper and a very tiny sprinkle of salt. Place in a shabu shabu pot, and dot in the shitakes mushrooms and sliced ginger. Pour over the mushroom braising liquid and add the dried chillies and coil over the spring onions and celery leaf. Cover with the lid and place on heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and braise for about 1hr 15 mins. Turn off the heat and allow to rest for ½ hour.

Sprinkle with chopped herbs , and serve with steamed rice and chill oil.