Name: Crispy fennel-rolled roast pork with rhubarb sauce
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2.5kg boneless pork loin skin and fat on, butterflied (ask your butcher); 1½ tbsp fennel seeds crushed; 1½ tbsp coriander seeds crushed; 4 lemon thyme sprigs leaves only; 2 large garlic cloves crushed; 2 tbsp olive oil; dauphinoise potatoes and green vegetables, to serve; 300g forced rhubarb cut into 4cm pieces; 3 tbsp light brown soft sugar; 1 orange juiced; 1 bay leaf

Crispy fennel-rolled roast pork with rhubarb sauce on the side

2.5kg boneless pork loin
skin and fat on, butterflied (ask your butcher)
1½ tbsp fennel seeds
crushed
1½ tbsp coriander seeds
crushed
4 lemon thyme sprigs
leaves only
2 large garlic cloves
crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
dauphinoise potatoes
and green vegetables, to serve

For the sauce

300g forced rhubarb
cut into 4cm pieces
3 tbsp light brown soft sugar
1 orange
juiced
1 bay leaf

Method

step 1
Lay the pork skin-side up and score the skin using a sharp knife in 2cm intervals. Turn over. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the fennel and coriander seeds, lemon thyme, garlic and ½ tbsp salt to a rough paste, then spread over the flesh-side of the pork. Roll the meat up tightly from the longest end, then tie together using butcher’s string in 1cm intervals. Rub the outside of the pork with 1 tbsp salt and chill overnight or for at least 6 hrs.
step 2
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Put the pork in a roasting tin, drizzle over the oil and roast for 30 mins. After this time, reduce the temperature to 190C/170C fan/gas 7 and cook for 1 hr 30 mins, then remove from the oven and rest, covered in foil, for 30 mins.
step 3
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Tip the rhubarb, sugar, orange juice, bay and a pinch of salt into a pan. Simmer gently for 10-15 mins, or until the rhubarb has broken down with some chunkier bits.
step 4
Slice the pork with a sharp serrated knife (a bread knife works well) and serve with the rhubarb sauce, dauphinoise potatoes, greens or purple sprouting broccoli.