Monday, May 2, 2011

Roasted pork Fillet with crispy sage potatoes and apple calvados sauce

Roasted Pork Fillet




      What can I say I wanted an indulgent meal.  I wanted to have the satisfaction of a perfectly cooked piece of meat caramelised on the outside, rosy pink and moist inside.  There is nothing outlandish in this dish just traditional flavours tied together and cooked well.  If your out to impress with this dish then a drizzle of tart apple syrup around the plate would not go astray.






Cured Roasted Pork Fillet


1/2 Tablespoon flaky sea salt
1/2 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 small bunch thyme
1 pork fillet,  600 - 700grams
1Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter


Trim sinew off pork fillet.
Blend the thyme, paprika, salt and sugar together.  Rub this mix into the pork fillet cover and cure for up to two hours.  Preheat the oven to 200c.   Rince the pork fillet to remove  the excess salt, dry thoroughly.  Heat oil in a hot fry-pan,  add butter brown pork fillet evenly 2-3 minutes each side and roast for a further 8 minutes, take out of the oven and rest for five minutes. 

(optional but highly recommended)
  Collect the meat juices from resting your pork, re-heat fry-pan and quickly deglaze the pan (lift up all the tasty brown bits left from searing the filet) with the meat juices add a splash of calvados or stock or white wine and then whisk in  10grams of cold butter.  This will thicken the jus and give it a rich finish.  This will only make a small amount of sauce but it should punch out some serious flavour.  Drizzle over pork.




Apple Calvados Sauce


250mls apple juice
1 apple granny smith
50 mls double cream
50grams butter
Calvados to taste

Dice the whole apple including skins and seeds.  Cook with apple juice until the apple is soft and pulpy.  Push the apple through the sieve.  Bring the apple pulp to the boil and add the cream.  Turn off the heat and whisk the butter into the sauce, add the calvados and serve.



Crispy Sage Potato

1kg peeled agria potatoes
1 bunch sage
oil to fry
salt / pepper to season

Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces and boil in salted boiling water until al dente.  Drain in a colainder and place on a tray covered with clean teatowel or kitchen paper to ensure that they are dry.   In a large frypan heat 2-3cm of oil,  when the oil is hot fry the whole sage leaves until golden lift out of oil and drain.  (Now you have an oil gorgeously infused with sage.)  Fry potatoes in batches until golden brown.  Toss with crisp sage leaves and seasoning.






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