Roast loin of pork with pear stuffing

Adding perry, a pear cider, to the gravy accentuates the fruity flavours.

Serves: 6-8

Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours 20 minutes, plus resting

1.5kg loin of pork, boned and rolled

1tbsp sunflower oil

1 small onion, sliced

1tbsp plain flour

175ml perry

250ml hot chicken or vegetable stock 1tsp quince jelly

For the stuffing

25g butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1 garlic clove, crushed

50g fresh breadcrumbs

1 large, firm pear, peeled, cored and diced Zest 1 lemon (reserve juice for gravy) Small handful parsley, finely chopped 1 medium egg, beaten

1 To make stuffing, melt butter in a pan, then gently fry onion for 10min until softened. Stir in fennel seeds and garlic and fry for 1min. Tip into a bowl to cool.

2 Stir in remaining stuffing ingredients and season with salt and black pepper.

3 Heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Unroll pork, spread stuffing over meat, re-roll and tie: don’t overstuff. (Roast any excess stuffing alongside pork in a greased ovenproof dish for 20-25min.)

4 Weigh pork to calculate cooking time: allow 25min per 450g plus 25 min. Dry skin and rub with oil and plenty of salt. Put onion slices in a roasting tin with the pork on top. Cook for allotted time until juices run clear or a meat thermometer reads 72°C at the centre. Transfer to a board, cover with foil and rest for 20min.

5 For the gravy, pour away all but 1tbsp of the cooking fat and put roasting tin on hob over a medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1min. Gradually pour in perry, scraping residue from base of tin. Add stock, bring to boil, then simmer for 15min. Stir in jelly. Check seasoning

(add a squeeze of lemon juice if too salty). Strain and serve with the pork.