Free-range pork with apple, cherry and sage stuffing and apple crisps

Serves 6 Starters and mains

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Method

Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/ Gas 9. Weigh the pork and make a note of its weight.

Make the stuffing. In a bowl, combine the apples, cherries, red onion, sage, breadcrumbs and melted butter. Season and mix well.

Butterfly the pork loin by making a slit down its length, cutting just deep enough so that the loin opens out to lie flat like a book. Spoon the stuffing mixture onto the meat and spread evenly. Close up the loin and tie with string at even intervals so it assumes its original shape. Push any stuffing back in that escapes from the ends.

Season the pork all over and place in a roasting tray. Cook for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and cook for 20 minutes per 450g.

To make the apple crisps, core the apples and slice very thinly through the middle of each one (aim for slices that are 1–2mm thick). Dust with the cinnamon and lay flat on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.

Cook in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for 45 minutes–1 hour (if you are cooking the pork at the same time, add the apple slices to the oven when you reduce the temperature). Turn the slices halfway through and remove any that have browned too much.

Continue cooking until the apples have dried out and are light golden. For the apple jus, put the apples, sugar and butter in a saucepan. Cover and cook gently, stirring every so often, for 15–20 minutes, until the apples start to disintegrate. Once the pork is cooked, stir 100ml of the cooking juices into the apples.

To serve, slice the pork and place on warmed plates. Scatter apple crisps over and drizzle with hot apple jus. Garnish with sage.