The Ultimate Italian Porchetta

A staple at Italian feasts, porchetta is synonymous with celebration – here it’s stuffed with mixed fruit and nuts for a seasonal touch.

Hands-on time 15min, plus resting. Cooking time about 3hr. Serves 10-12

◆ 3kg (6 ½lb) pork loin with belly attached, skin on and scored, boned and butterflied

◆ 4tbsp cider vinegar

◆ 1tbsp flaked sea salt FOR THE STUFFING

◆ Small knob of butter

◆ 1 onion, finely chopped

◆ 150g (5oz) cubed pancetta

◆ 10g (½oz) rosemary, leaves only, chopped

◆ 5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

◆ 2tbsp fennel seeds, bruised

◆ 100g (3½oz) pitted prunes, chopped

◆ 75g (3oz) pine nuts

◆ 100ml (3½fl oz) white wine

◆ 50g (2oz) fresh breadcrumbs

◆ zest 1 lemon

1 Remove the pork from the fridge about an hour before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Place skin-side up on a wire rack in the sink; carefully pour over a whole kettle of freshly boiled water, followed by the vinegar and allow to cool slightly. Pat dry with kitchen paper, rub the skin with ½tbsp flaked sea salt and transfer the pork on the rack to a baking sheet to dry. Set aside.

2 Make the stuffing: melt the butter in a pan, fry onion gently for 8-10min until just golden and softened. Increase heat, add pancetta and cook for 5min, until just crisp. Tip in rosemary, garlic, 1tbsp fennel seeds, prunes, pine nuts, wine and breadcrumbs; cook for 2min, and then remove from heat. Stir through lemon zest, season and allow to cool.

3 Heat oven to 220°C (200°C fan) mark 7. Set the pork, skin-side down, on a board, spread over stuffing and roll up, tie tightly with string, transfer to a large foil-lined roasting tin (adding back any stuffing that might have fallen out), rub over remaining salt and fennel seeds and cook for 30min.

4 Reduce heat to 160°C (140°C fan) mark 3 and continue cooking for 2hr, until cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20min before slicing.

PER SERVING 764cals, 52g protein, 58g fat (20g saturates), 6g carbs (4g total sugars), 1g fibre