Pork Roast with Crispy Crackling and Gravy

Step 1: Pat the pork skin dry with paper towels. If time permits, leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight; even 1 hour helps. Otherwise, pat it especially well.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan).

Step 3: Sprinkle the pork flesh with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, all the pepper, all the fennel seeds, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Rub the seasoning into the flesh, including the crevices and cracks.

Step 4: Flip the pork skin-side up. Drizzle the skin with the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and rub it over the skin with your fingers. Sprinkle on the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, covering the skin evenly. Unsalted patches will not become bubbly crackling and may remain a hard, flat sheet.

Step 5: Place the halved garlic bulb and onions in a roasting pan. Set the pork on top, skin-side up.

Step 6: Carefully pour the wine into the pan without wetting the skin. Transfer the pan to the oven.

Step 7: Immediately lower the oven temperature to 160°C/320°F (140°C fan).

Step 8: Roast for 2 1/2 hours.

Step 9: After 1 1/2 hours, check whether the pork has warped and the skin is significantly uneven. If it has, use foil balls to level the skin as much as possible, moving large pieces of dislodged pork to the side. Return the pork to the oven for the remaining 1 hour.

Step 10: If the pan is drying out, add some water. If any patches of skin are bare of salt, spray them lightly with oil spray or brush them lightly with oil, then sprinkle with salt.

Step 11: Raise the oven temperature to 250°C/485°F, or as high as it will go if it cannot reach that temperature.

Step 12: Return the pork to the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan as needed, until the skin is crisp and bubbly all over. If some parts are done before others, cover those patches with foil secured by water-soaked toothpicks, then continue cooking until the remaining patches are crisp.

Step 13: Transfer the pork to a serving platter and tent it loosely with foil. Rest for 20 minutes, then slice with a serrated knife. It will stay warm for up to 1 hour.

Step 14: Serve with gravy, poured to the side rather than over the crackling.

Step 15: Skim 3 tablespoons of fat from the roasting pan and put it in a saucepan.

Step 16: Set a strainer over a bowl and scrape in the remaining pan juices, including the onion and garlic. Press out the juices, then discard the onion and garlic. Skim excess fat from the surface and discard it; there is no need to remove every bit.

Step 17: Heat the saucepan with the fat over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.

Step 18: Pour in the stock while whisking to keep the mixture lump-free. Then pour in the strained pan juices.

Step 19: Simmer until the gravy thickens to a syrup-like consistency, about 3 minutes. It will thicken more as it cools slightly.

Step 20: Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Pour the gravy into a serving jug and serve with the pork.