This is an excellent dish of a pork loin, stuffed with dried fruit and herbs that’s rolled before roasting. This makes an excellent (and pretty) dish for Valentine’s day. Sliced and arranged on a warmed serving plate, this is also an excellent and attractive centrepiece for Easte.
Prep time 50 minutes/Cook time 110 minutes/Serves 8
Ingredients:
150g (1 cup) dried figs
190g (1 cup) dried apricots
160g (1 cup) dried cherries (I use sour cherries)
finely-grated zest of 1 lime
1 hot chilli, minced
600ml (2 1/2 cups) dry red wine
3 cinnamon sticks
2 1/2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1.575kg (3 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin roast, butterflied
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan/450°F/Gas mark 7).
Combine the dried fruit, wine, and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Take off the heat and set aside to steep for 20 minutes.
Drain the fruit, discarding the cinnamon sticks then stir in the lime zest and chilli.
In a small bowl, combine the rosemary, salt, black pepper and garlic then stir together. Rub 2 tbsp of the mixture on the inside of the roast. Layer with the steeped fruit and roll the roast tightly into a log. Tie with butcher’s string.
Rub the outside of the roast with oil and the remaining rosemary mixture then sit in a roasting tin. Transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven then reduce oven temperature to 165C (145C fan/325F/Gas mark 3) and roast for 80 minutes.
Allow pork to rest for 15 minutes, remove the string, slice and arrange attractively on a warmed serving platter.
