Thickly slice a large onion and scatter over the base of a roasting tray, chop 2-3 cloves of garlic and add these, together with a couple
of bay leaves. Grind together a couple of cloves, half a star anise, a Tbs whole green cardamom pods, a 3 cm stick of cinnamon and a tsp
of coriander seeds. Remove the skin from a piece of pork belly, cut the fat into a criss-cross pattern and rub the spice mixture into this.
Place on top of the onions, cover with foil and roast in a 170°C oven for about 2 hours. Meanwhile, braise sliced fennel in a little butter
until soft. When the pork is cooked, remove from the pan and keep warm. Pour 100ml dry cider into the pan and simmer until reduced and
becoming sticky. Whisk in a knob of butter and a Tbs balsamic vinegar. Make polenta according to the packet, stirring in a good handful
of grated strong cheddar cheese. To serve, spoon polenta onto plates, top with some fennel, place slices of the belly pork on top of that,
and spoon over some of the cider gravy.