SERVES: 8 to 10
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 200g mixed dried fruit, such as apricots, figs and cranberries
- Leaves of three sprigs of fresh sage, chopped, plus extra to garnish
- 1 pinch paprika
- 240ml water
- Finely grated zest of one orange
- About ten cooked chestnuts, chopped
- 1 handful roasted hazelnuts, chopped
- 100g baby spinach
- 1.8kg boneless pork loin, butterflied (ask your butcher to do this if you don't know how)
- 75g unsalted butter
- 5 small pears
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- Leaves of a sprig of rosemary, chopped, plus extra sprigs to garnish
- 3 tbsp pear jam, warmed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan and gently cook the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt over a low heat for four to five minutes until softened. Stir in the dried fruit (cutting any larger fruit into small pieces), along with the sage and paprika. Let cook for two minutes, add the water, and simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Stir in the orange zest, chestnuts, hazelnuts and spinach.
2. Open up the pork loin, lay it flat and season with salt and pepper. Top with the dried fruit mixture, leaving a 3-4cm border all the way around. Starting on one long side, roll the meat up and tie it at regular intervals using kitchen twine. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
3. Melt 50g of the butter in a casserole pot over a medium heat and brown the pork in it for three to four minutes on all sides. Place in the oven for about five to ten minutes.
4. Wash the pears, cut them in half lengthways and coat with lemon juice. 5. Melt the remaining butter, mix in the maple syrup and chopped rosemary, and pour over the pears. Arrange the pears around the pork and cook, uncovered, for 50 minutes. Cover with the lid or aluminum foil and cook for an additional ten minutes, or until the temperature of the meat reaches 63°C (145°F) in the centre.
6. Remove the meat from the oven and brush the roast pork with the warm jam. Cut into thick slices, garnish with rosemary sprigs and sage leaves, and serve with the pears.
My Art of Entertaining: Recipes and Tips from Miss Maggie's Kitchen by Héloïse Brion is published by Flammarion, price £20. Photographs by Christophe Roué
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