1. Lay the pork belly skin side down; score the meat side in a close criss-cross pattern 1 cm deep and prick the skin all over with a sharp knife, without cutting into the meat.
2. For the herb paste, finely chop the garlic, rosemary and sage leaves, crush the fennel seeds in a mortar and mix with the lemon zest, pepper, half the salt and the olive oil.
3. Massage the paste thoroughly into the meat side, then roll the belly up tightly with the skin on the outside and tie it with kitchen string every 2-3 cm; rub the skin with the remaining salt and, if you have time, leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out.
4. Place the roll on a rack over a roasting tin, pour the wine and water into the tin and roast in an oven preheated to 160 °C for about 3 hours.
5. At the end, raise the heat to 230 °C and roast for another 20-30 minutes until the skin blisters and turns crisp (keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn).
6. Rest for 20 minutes, remove the string and cut into thick slices - excellent warm with roast potatoes, or cold in a sandwich (panino).
Tip: The secret of crisp crackling is a dry surface: pat it dry, salt it well and let it air-dry uncovered in the fridge.
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