Rachel Green's tasty September recipe

SPICED ROASTED PORK LOIN, HASSELBACK POTATOES, HERBY HISPI CABBAGE & GOAT’S CURD

1.2-1.4kg pork loin

100ml honey

80g soft dark brown sugar

50g fresh ginger, peeled and grated

2 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced

3 Cox’s apples

120g dried dates, pitted

2 large red onions, thickly sliced

200ml Balsamic vinegar

2 cinnamon sticks

3 star anise

500g new potatoes

sea salt flakes

freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling

1 Hispi cabbage, outer leaves removed, quartered, core left intact

2 leeks, trimmed, washed and cut into 2” lengths

2 large shallots, sliced

a small bunch of basil

a small bunch of chives

a small bunch of dill

3 garlic cloves, crushed

zest and juice of 1 lemon

150g Lincolnshire Poacher cheese, grated

1 pint vegetable stock

200-250g goat’s curd

Preheat the oven to 220°C/200° fan

Score the rind on the pork loin and leave to one side.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the honey, sugar, ginger, coriander, cumin and chilli.

Core the apples, cut in half and stuff with the dates.

Scatter the onion slices into a roasting tray and place the pork loin and stuffed apple halves on top.  Drizzle with the Balsamic vinegar and scatter in the cinnamon sticks and star anise.  Put into the preheated oven, cook for 10 minutes and then immediately reduce the heat to 180°C/165°C fan and allow to cook for 1 hour, basting frequently.  Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, Hasselback the potatoes.  (This can be made easier by placing each potato into the bowl of a wooden spoon and making thin vertical cuts into the potato without cutting all the way through.)  Place the potatoes in a roasting tin, season with a little salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.  After the pork has been cooking for 15 minutes, put the potatoes into the oven to roast.

Then, put the cabbage, leeks, shallots, herbs, garlic, lemon zest and juice and cheese into a large mixing bowl.  Season with salt and a little pepper and toss with the olive oil until coated.  Tip the mixture into a large roasting dish, pour in the vegetable stock and place dollops of goat’s curd over the top.

Thirty minutes before the pork and potatoes are cooked, put the cabbage dish into the oven to cook for 30-40 minutes until the cabbage dish is browned and the vegetables cooked.

Once everything is cooked, remove from the oven.  Carve the pork into slices, drizzle over the roasting juices from the tin and serve with the apples, potatoes and cabbage dish.