Pork Belly and Scallop Starter with Coffee Glaze

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the pork belly: Season the pork belly with salt and pepper. On medium-high heat, in half the oil, sear the meat in an oven-proof casserole dish on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Add the carrots , celery , onion, fennel, thyme, and peppercorns and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until caramelized.

Add the veal stock and hard cider . Cover the casserole dish with a lid, or securely with tin foil, and braise the pork belly in the oven for 3 hours, until tender.

Remove the pork belly from the oven and set aside on an aluminum-foil covered plate.

Strain the leftover liquid with a large sieve over a stockpot, discard the vegetables and skim the excess fat from the braising liquid.

Heat a pan on high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cut the pork belly into 4 equal pieces and sear on all sides until crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove from pan and keep warm. Before this step, reduce the glaze.

For the glaze : Start by reducing the braising liquid by half for about 15 minutes on medium-high heat. Add the coffee and honey and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until it thickens. You will know the sauce is done when it coats the back of a spoon. Set aside.

For the scallops: Season the scallops with salt and pepper. In the same hot pan as the pork belly, sear the scallops on both sides for about 1 minute.

For serving: Drizzle the coffee glaze over the pork belly. Top with a scallop. Season with sea salt and serve.