Pork rillettes

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Tip all the ingredients, excluding the chives, into a casserole with a good pinch of salt and 150ml of water. Put on the hob over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Put on the lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours until the meat is meltingly tender.

• step 2

  Put a metal sieve over a large bowl and drain the pork into this, discarding the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Lift the pork into a separate bowl and put the cooking liquid into a jug to separate. Use two forks to shred the pork, then give it a brief mash with a potato masher – it’s best to have a mixture of smaller and larger chunks.

• step 3

  Spoon off as much of the fat as possible from the cooking liquid into a bowl, then pour two ladlefuls of the cooking liquid into the pork, mixing it really well. Season the pork to taste. Divide the pork between a large terrine dish, eight ramekins or two 500ml Kilner jars. Sprinkle over the chives in a layer over the meat then spoon over enough of the fat to completely cover the meat. Chill the rillettes for a few hours or until the fat sets.

• step 4

  Serve with hot buttered toast, cornichons, pickled onions and a green salad. The rillettes will keep in the fridge for one week.