Roast Pork, Fennel And Apple And Pimped Up Mash
John and Lisa have some great crowd pleasing dishes to bring the family together this weekend. Here is John's Roast Pork, Fennel And Apple served with Lisa's Pimped Up Mash. The fennel and apple work beautifully with the pork and the mash loaded with green veg is a great way to make it go further for the whole family.
Roast Pork, Fennel And Apple And Pimped Up Mash
Serves 6 - 8
Ingredients
2kg Loin Of Pork , Skin Removed
Sea Salt And Black Pepper
A Handful Each Of Fresh Sage, Oregano And Parsley, Roughly Chopped
A Handful Fresh White Breadcrumbs
1 Lemon, Finely Zested
30ml Olive Oil
12-16 Slices Of Pancetta Or Smoked Streaky Bacon
Braised Fennel & Apple
1 Large Bulb Fennel, Trimmed & Quartered
3 Eating Apples, Peeled, Cored & Quartered
1 Tsp Fennel Seeds, Toasted
3 Star Anise, Toasted
2 Cloves Of Garlic
50ml Olive Oil
150ml White Wine
Salt & Pepper
Mash
1.5kg Potatoes, Like Maris Piper
1 Leek, Trimmed, Washed And Finely Sliced
1 Bag Of Sliced Greens Or Cabbage, Cooked
2 Heaped Tbsp Crème Fraîche
2 Tsp Dijon Mustard
Method
1. Preheat The Oven To 200ºc Or 180 ºc Fan.
2. Lay The Pork, Flesh Side Up, On A Chopping Board With The Belly Flap Away From You. With A Sharp Knife Make An Incision In The Meat Half Way Down Running Parallel To The Board Cutting Almost All The Way Through. Open The Loin Up Flat And Season With Salt And Pepper.
3. Add The Herbs And Breadcrumbs Into A Bowl With The Grated Lemon Zest And Salt And Pepper Then Stir Well To Combine.
4. Rub The Pork With A Drizzle Of Olive Oil Then Pat The Herb Mix Well Into The Pork, This Will Help To Distribute The Flavours Evenly. Roll Up Tightly
5. Take A Piece Of Foil Large Enough To Wrap The Pork. Lay The Pieces Of Pancetta On The Foil (Two Abreast, Overlapping Slightly). Place The Pork On Top And Roll. Bring The Pancetta Up To The Edge Covering The Pork And Then Roll The Foil Around. Twist The Ends So The Parcel Is Very Tight Like A Sausage.
6. Add The Fennel, Spices, Garlic Cloves And Apples To A Large Roasting Tray. Add A Drizzle Of Olive Oil And Pour In The Wine And Sit The Pork On The Top. Place In The Oven And Roast For Around An Hour. Allow It All To Roast Away Very Happily, Maybe Giving The Tray A Shake From Time To Time.
7. Remove The Pork From The Oven And Test If It Is Cooked By Inserting A Skewer Through The Foil And Into The Centre Of The Meat. If The Juice Runs Clear The Pork Is Cooked. If You Have A Temperature Probe The Pork Needs To Get To 68-70º. Remove The Pork From The Tray And Leave To Rest For 15 Minutes. Just Before Serving, Add Another Splash Of Wine And A Few More Herbs To The Tray And Gently Stir.
8. Unwrap The Foil And Cut The Pork Into Slices. Spoon The Fennel And Apple Onto A Large Platter Along With All The Juices From The Tray, Lay Over The Pork, Spooning Over Some Of The Pan Juices. Serve Alongside Your Creamy Mash And Greens.
Mash
1. For The Mash, Peel And Dice The Potatoes And Boil In A Pan Of Water Until Cooked Through. Heat A Frying Pan With A Splash Of Olive Oil And Fry The Leeks Until Soft, Add In The Cooked Greens, Stir Well.
2. Drain And Mash The Potatoes Then Add To The Pan With The Leeks And Greens, Fold In The Crème Fraîche And The Mustard Until Everything Is Well Combined.