Fiona Egan shares a wonderful recipe with us this Christmas for something a little different.
Ingredients:
600g (approx) pork fillet
220g pancetta
4 sprigs thyme
Rapeseed oil & few knobs of butter
For The Stuffing
65g breadcrumbs
4 ready to eat roughly chopped pitted dates
1 lemon/orange zest
2 teaspoons thyme finely chopped
4 tablespoons lightly toasted & roughly chopped Walnuts/Hazelnuts or Nibbed Almonds
For The Sauce:
250g mushrooms sliced
2 tablespoons brandy
2 sprigs thyme
250ml double cream Seasoning
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170oC.
For the pork fillet, use a good sharp knife. Make an incision and cut down along the side of the fillet opening it like a book but not cutting all the way through the meat. Slightly overlap the pancetta along a parchment lined tray roughly the length of the pork fillet. Place the fillet on top.
To make the stuffing, add the breadcrumbs into a bowl along with the dates, lemon or orange zest, thyme and nuts. Season with salt & pepper and mix well to combine.
Along the centre of the butterfly, lay the stuffing and press gently with your hand to firm up. Next, at one end, bring together each side of the fillet to meet in the middle followed by overlapping the pancetta until you come to the other end of the fillet. With brown string, wrap it around the fillet to secure the pancetta in place.
Heat a pan over a medium heat with a glug of oil. Place the fillet on the hot pan along with a good knob of butter and the sprigs of thyme. Brown the fillet on all sides. Transfer the pork onto the parchment lined tray and place in the oven to roast for 30-40 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
For the sauce. In the same pan you used to brown the meat, place it over a medium heat with a glug of oil and a knob of butter. Add the mushrooms, brandy and sprigs of thyme. Sauté until just cooked. Add the cream and allow to simmer for a few minutes until lightly thickened up. Season to taste.
To Serve, carve the pork and place on a warm serving platter. Garnish with some thyme and rosemary sprigs. Place in the centre of the table with the brandy & mushroom sauce alongside in a bowl with a spoon. Enjoy served with creamed potatoes and roast vegetables.
Download a printable recipe below, and remember, for lots of cooking ideas check out your local library