Roast pork with watercress, sweet and sour apples and chicory
This classic combination makes a wonderful autumnal Sunday roast, when all of these ingredients are at their very best.
Ingredients
For the roast pork
- 6 bay leaves
- 2kg/4lb 8oz pork loin, on the bone, skin scored
- drizzle olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice only
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sweet and sour apples
- 2 Braeburn apples, halved and cored
- 3 heads chicory, halved
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú butter
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- ½ bunch thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 100ml/3½fl oz cider vinegar
- drizzle olive oil
To serve
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú watercress
Method
Preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9.
Stick the bay leaves in the scores made in the skin of the pork, season well and drizzle with olive oil. Roast the pork for 30 minutes, then squeeze the lemon juice over the skin and continue to roast for another 45 minutes. When the pork is cooked, remove and allow to rest for another 40 minutes.
For the sweet and sour apples, cook the apples and endive cut-side down in a pan with half the butter until golden and caramelised. Turn over and sprinkle with the caster sugar and dot with the rest of the butter. Add the thyme and bay leaf. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes until soft, then deglaze the pan with the vinegar and baste in the juices to glaze. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
To serve, spread the watercress over a serving platter. Slice the meat and arrange on top, then spoon over the juices. Serve with the apple and chicory.