Roast Loin of Pork with Black Pudding Stuffing, served with Roasted Vegetables & Apple Sauce

In this whole wholesome recipe from Roly's Café & Bakery (Gill & Macmillan), you get the benefit of both delicious good quality pork – and an artisan black pudding. Simple, traditional Irish food at its best.

Serves 4

1 kg loin of pork
300g Kelly’s Black Pudding (or other)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
200ml vegetable oil
400g organic root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, potatoes, peeled & roughly chopped
300ml olive oil
For the apple sauce:
2 apples
100ml water
1 tsp sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.

2. With a sharp knife, open a cavity in the pork loin along its length. Stuff with the black pudding, then tie with kitchen string. Season the pork with salt and pepper and place in a roasting tray. Pour over the vegetable oil, then put into the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat to 190°C and cook for a further 50 minutes, turning the pork over after 25 minutes.

4. Place all the vegetables in a separate roasting tray, season with salt and pepper and pour over the olive oil. Cook for 50 minutes along with the pork, turning occasionally until done.

5. Meanwhile, to make the apple sauce, peel and core the apples, then cut into small pieces. Place in a saucepan with the water and sugar and cook on a gentle heat for 15 minutes, until the apples are soft. Remove to a blender and purée until smooth.

6. Remove the pork from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the string, carve and serve surrounded by the roasted vegetables and apple sauce.

[Editor’s note/Variations: If I were making this at home, I’d make sure to have pork with the skin on, for lovely crispy crackling – and I’d use traditional ‘falling’ apples such as Bramley and then skip the blending/puréeing stage. I’d also make some old-fashioned gravy - but then, I’m not running a restaurant. I know that changing the recipe would make it into a bit of a ‘country dinner’. GC]