Ingredients
1 piece good-quality pork belly on the bone, with skin intact, about 2kg/4lb 8oz
coarse sea salt
head garlic, cut horizontally in half
small bunch of thyme
6 bay leaves
about 500ml/18fl oz duck fat or rendered pork fat
14 raw baby beetroot
about 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
4 fillets smoked eel, each 50-75g/2-2¾oz, sliced at an angle into bite-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
flatleaf parsley leaves, young beetroot leaves or baby salad leaves to garnish
For the horseradish cream
5 tbsp freshly grated horseradish root
4 tbsp crème fraîche
squeeze of lemon juice

Method
1. Rub the pork belly all over with coarse sea salt, then with the cut sides of the garlic. Scrunch the thyme and three of the bay leaves in your hands, and rub these all over the joint too. Sit the joint skin-side up in a container with the garlic and herbs. Cover and leave in the fridge for 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 140C/285F/Gas 1.
3. Remove the garlic and herbs from the pork and reserve. Rinse off the salt and pat the joint dry. Warm the duck or pork fat in a deep-sided roasting tin with a heavy lid on top of the stove until it becomes liquid, then slip in the joint, skin-side up. It must be submerged in fat, so you may need to add more. Add the reserved garlic and herbs, and bring the fat to the boil. Cover with a heavy lid, put in the oven and cook for about three hours. To check if the pork is done, pierce it in the middle with a carving fork and try to pick it up - it should slip off the fork. Leave the joint to cool in the liquid (the fat will solidify). Place in the fridge overnight.
4. The next day, wash the beetroot and place them in a pan of cold water with the remaining bay leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40-50 minutes or until tender. Allow the beetroot to cool in the liquid, then lift them out and peel off the skins. Purée two of the beetroots in a food processor or blender, then press through a sieve into a bowl. Stir in the olive oil to give the purée a pouring consistency.
5. Make the horseradish cream by stirring all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
6. Remove the solid pork belly from the roasting tin and place skin-side down on a board. Prise away the bones with the tip of a sharp knife. Turn the pork over and trim into a rectangular block, discarding any fat and gristle. You should end up with a 7.5cm/3in square of prime meat cut from the middle (the trimmings are good fried with eggs for breakfast, or cut into lardons and used in salads). Cut the block into 5mm/¼in-wide strips and pan-fry with a little olive oil (or use some of the duck or pork fat) in a very hot pan for 1-2 minutes on each side until brown and crisp.
7. To serve, spoon some horseradish cream onto each plate, add three beetroots (sliced if you like), a couple of slices of pork belly and some pieces of eel fillet. Finish by garnishing with your choice of leaves, and spooning beetroot purée around each plate.