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Roast pork with fennel stuffing and simple apple sauce

From Market Kitchen
A classic flavour pairing of pork and apple is enhanced by Tana Ramsay's fresh-tasting stuffing

Roast pork with fennel stuffing and simple apple sauce

Method

1. For the stuffing: put the shallot, apple and fennel into a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Stir in the fennel seeds and season well with salt and pepper.

2. If the pork loin is already tied up, you will need to untie it in order to stuff the meat. Lay it flat and, at the thickest part of the meat, cut a slit with a very sharp knife to create a pocket to hold the stuffing.

3. Push as much of the stuffing as possible into the pocket and then fold the thinner end of the meat over to seal the stuffing.

4. Using the butcher's string, carefully tie the meat together as tightly as possible to seal the stuffing in the centre of the joint. You will probably need to tie about 6 tight loops around the meat in all.

5. Put the pork on a wire rack above a baking tray, skin-side uppermost. Using kitchen paper, blot the skin dry. Leave to one side (not in the fridge) to rest for around 30 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7.

7. Just before putting in the oven, rub the olive oil into the pork skin and season with salt and pepper. Put the pork in the oven and after 30 minutes, turn the oven down to 190C/ gas 5. Cook for a further hour and ten minutes, until the juices run clear when you pierce the meat with a skewer.

8. For the apple sauce: melt the butter in a pan. Add the apples and a splash of water. Leave to simmer for about 10 minutes until the apples are so soft that they break up when stirred. Season with salt and pepper.

9. When the pork is ready, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the apple sauce and red cabbage.