Celebrate with this fruity centerpiece

Make sure the butcher has removed the ribs and scratched the skin (or outer skin) with an incision deep into the fat. In Asturias, they serve pork with apple puree or whole roasted apples.

Supply 6-8 strips of pork with skin, ½ belly (about 2 kg), olive oil 2 tablespoons salt Golden Delicious apples 8 dried apple cider 250 ml

Chestnut puree (optional) 500g chestnuts, fresh peeled frozen thawed or vacuum packaged whole milk about 300ml, or more (enough to cover the chestnuts) 35g salted butter

Put the pork belly in a baking dish brushed with 1 tablespoon of oil, or better yet, place it on the rack of the baking dish. Sprinkle a large amount of salt and rub it into the incision in the skin. Then wipe off the excess salt, and rub the skin and flesh side with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Put the pork belly skin up.

Put the pan in the oven preheated to 200C fan/gas mark 7 for 30 minutes, until the pork skin starts to expand, then reduce the heat to 170C fan/gas mark 5 and cook for about 1¾ hours to 2 hours until the crackling sound is Crisp and brown. Cover with foil, let the meat sit for 15 minutes, then cut into thick slices.

At the same time, put the apples in a baking tray or pan that fits snugly against them. Pour the cider in and place the plate in the oven under the roast, after you lower the heat. Pierce the apples with a knife and remove them when they become soft. Watch them after cooking for about 40 minutes to prevent them from falling apart. Finally put them back in the oven to heat up.

For the optional chestnut puree, boil the chestnuts in enough milk over low heat, cover the pot, and cover the pot until they are soft. Drain them, reserve the milk, add salt and butter. Use a potato masher to mash the chestnuts, or to get a smoother puree, put them in a food processor and add as much retained milk as needed to give it a soft consistency.

"Spanish Food" by Claudia Roden (Penguin Books Ltd., £35). To support Guardian and Observer, please order your copy on Guardianbookshop.com. Shipping costs may be charged.