Last weekend I was lucky enough to visit Guernsey for a christening and enjoyed the first really lovely spring evening of the year, sipping the local cider on the terrace of the hotel, watching the sunset over the sea. As it was about to be one of CAMRA’s Cider and Perry months, I grabbed a couple of bottles to bring back ready for my next recipe. How about a laid-back bank holiday feast of tender cider-glazed pulled pork and a crunchy apple and dill slaw piled into fresh bread rolls?

Apple growing has been a major agricultural enterprise in the Channel Islands for hundreds of years. And where you have apples growing, you have cider. So much so that cider was the biggest export for Jersey long before the advent of the Jersey Royal Potato. By the end of the 1700s, over 15 per cent of Jersey was planted with orchards. Although cider production is now a lot smaller today, there is renewed interest in both Jersey and Guernsey, with a growing number of artisan producers. Rocquette Cider in Guernsey harvests apples from over five thousand trees producing apple juice, a range of ciders and apple brandy. Rocquette XC Exceptional bottled cider is light, crisp, and refreshing with flavours of bittersweet apples, toffee, and caramel.

This recipe is for four very generous servings of pulled pork. However, pork shoulder is better cooked in larger-sized joints so you can happily double the proportions. You can freeze any leftovers, just pack the finished pork and sauce into airtight tubs, defrost as required and reheat thoroughly. I enjoy the contrast of soft, sticky pulled pork and the crunch of the slaw, but if you want the recipe to pack a bit more punch you can add some extra chillies and spices such as ground cumin.

Cider-glazed pulled pork

1kg boneless pork shoulder

330ml cider

200ml tomato ketchup

100g Muscovado sugar

2tbs apple cider vinegar

2tsp smoked paprika

2tsp ground coriander

1tsp garlic granules

1tsp celery salt

Half tsp dried chilli flakes

Preheat oven to 300F/150C/Gas Mark 2. Mix half the sugar, spices, and salt together and rub all over the pork.

Put the pork in a deep-sided oven-proof dish and add the cider. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or aluminium foil. Cook for 3-4 hours until the meat is falling apart.

Remove from oven and transfer meat to a tray, allow to cool slightly then cut off any skin and pull apart the meat with two forks.

Pour the cooking liquor into a pan and skim off any excess fat before adding the ketchup, cider vinegar and remaining sugar. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for a few minutes stirring occasionally. Add to the pork, season, and serve piled into rolls and topped with slaw.

Green apple and dill slaw

Half small white cabbage

2 large carrots

1 large red onion

1 crisp green apple

Half small bunch dill

75g mayonnaise

50g crème fraiche

Splash apple cider vinegar

2tsp caster sugar

Quarter tsp celery salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Peel and finely slice the onion. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar and vinegar.

Peel the carrots and cut into 3cm lengths. Slice lengthwise as thin as possible then very finely into strips. Add to the onion.

Remove outer cabbage leaves and quarter. Remove the hard white stem and slice the cabbage as finely as possible. Place into the bowl.

Finely chop the dill and tip into the bowl before mixing in the mayonnaise, crème fraiche, celery salt, and a generous amount of black pepper.

Finally, cut the apple into matchstick-sized pieces and stir into the slaw, ensuring they are thoroughly coated in the mayonnaise mix. Chill in the fridge until needed.