To me, Italian food at its best is simple, seasonal and local. Although this dish isn’t an obviously authentic Italian recipe, it does use the principles of Italian home cooking to create something that is very tasty, not because of any hugely expensive ingredients or complicated techniques, but because of great local, seasonal produce.
Italian Pork Fillet
Categories winterRecipe Method
Peel and slice the potatoes into small chunks. Add to a saucepan of cold water with a good pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Once simmering, cook for 4 minutes. Drain.
While the potatoes boil, add a good splash of oil to a baking tray with the unpeeled garlic. Place in the oven at 180˚C Fan.
Toast 1 tsp fennel seeds in a frying pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the fennel seeds to a pestle and mortar with a good pinch of salt. Grind until fine before drizzling in some oil. Rub this over the pork.
Add the potatoes to the now hot oil. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes. Increase the heat towards the end if necessary.
After 15 minutes, bring the same frying pan from before to a high heat. Sear the pork in the pan on all sides until nicely coloured all over. Place the pork in the oven for 20 minutes. If you prefer your pork slightly pink, cook for 16-18 minutes. Rest the pork for 10 minutes. The firmer the pork is to touch, the more well done it is.
As the pork rests, add 2 handfuls of cavolo nero to the potatoes, mix well and add back to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
Add the potatoes and cavolo nero to a serving plate before grating over a generous amount of cheese. Slice the pork and serve over the top of the potatoes.
If you wish, make a pan sauce with the juices from the frying pan.