Pork Loin with Sherry-roasted Parsnips and Chestnuts

Alphabet I It's important that there's plenty of fat when you're cooking this joint, so look for good-quality, free-range pork that has a decent coating of it. It will keep the meat moist while cooking and will also produce really good crackling, writes James Martin
Pork loinPork loin

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 2kg (4lb 4oz) loin of pork
  • 50g (2oz) butter
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ½ bunch of watercress to serve
  • 800g (1¾ lb) parsnips, peeled and cut into 7.5cm (3in) batons
  • 250ml (9fl oz) dry sherry, such as fino or manzanilla
  • 75g (3oz) soft, light brown sugar
  • 110g (4oz) butter, cut into pieces
  • 10 roasted chestnuts, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

  • Preheat the over to 200°C, (400°F), Gas 6
  • Score the fat on the pork with a sharp knife and place in a roasting tin, season with salt and pepper and smother the fat with the butter. Bake in the oven for 1¼ hours, basting every 15 minutes to get the fat nice and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
  • Meanwhile, place the parsnips in an ovenproof pan or roasting tin, add the sherry, sugar and butter and mix together to combine. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and tender.
  • Remove the parsnips from the dish, then set the pan or tin over a high heat and reduce the liquid so that it evaporates, forming a glaze in the bottom of the pan. Place the parsnips back in the pan along with the chestnuts and parsley. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and stir all the ingredients together.
  • To serve, remove the crackling from the pork and cut into pieces, then slice the meat. Place the parsnips and chestnuts on the centre of each serving plate, top with sliced pork, crackling and a handful of watercress.My Kitchen by James Martin

Extracted from: My Kitchen by James Martin, published by Collins (ISBN: 978-0007294701), priced £20. Buy this book from Saga Books

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