Perry-braised bacon with pears, parsnips and chestnuts

Serves 6 Prep time 15 mins, cook 2 hours 5 mins (plus marinating)

The tart juiciness of this light and fruity fizz is the perfect foil for the salty but sweet flavours of bacon in a pear-rich pairing.

Bring perry, vinegar, brown sugar and cloves to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until reduced to 2 cups (about 25 minutes). Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cool.

Place bacon in a roasting pan, pour over reduction, turn to coat, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 200C. Remove foil from roasting pan and add parsnip, pear and chestnuts. Replace foil and roast for 35 minutes. Remove foil, increase heat to 220C and roast, basting frequently and turning pork halfway through cooking, until pork is golden (about 1 hour).

Meanwhile, for lemon and nutmeg spinach, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat, add spinach and lemon rind and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted (about 5-7 minutes). Season to taste with lemon juice, nutmeg, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve pork with roasted parsnips, pears and chestnuts and spinach to the side.