Pork and prunes is a classic French combination, and here it is given an extra flavour boost with ginger and orange. Cooked with a variety of vegetables it makes an easy roast meal and can be prepared ahead and kept in the refrigerator ready for cooking. Preparation time 25 minutes
Cooking time about 1 hour
Serves 4 2 small pork fillets (about 175 g each)
1 large orange
1⁄3 cup (50 g) sliced prunes
3 knobs stem ginger in syrup, drained and thinly sliced
6 lean bacon rashers
400 g new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 5 mm thick slices
2 leeks, trimmed and thickly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
2 red apples
2 cups (500 ml) dry alcoholic cider
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Put the pork fillets on a chopping board and cut each in half lengthways, without cutting all the way through. Open the fillets like a book and press down to flatten slightly. 2 Finely grate the zest from the orange and set aside. Using a small, serrated knife, cut away all the white pith from the orange, then slice down between the membranes to remove the orange segments. Arrange the orange segments over the cut surface of one fillet. Top with the sliced prunes and ginger, sprinkle with the orange zest, then season to taste. 3 Place the second fillet, cut-side down, on top and gently press the fillets together. Wrap the bacon rashers around the pork and secure in place with kitchen string. Set aside. 4 Spread the potatoes over the base of a large roasting tin, then scatter over the leeks and carrots. Core and thickly slice the apples, then add to the tin. Place the pork-fillet package on top and pour in the cider. Roast for 1 hour or until the potatoes and carrots are tender and clear juices come out of the pork when it is pierced with the tip of a knife. Lift out the pork and vegetables, cover with foil and leave to rest and keep warm for 10 minutes. 5 Meanwhile, put the roasting tin on the stove and boil the cooking liquid over a high heat until it is reduced to about 2⁄3 cup (170 ml). Add the parsley and season to taste. Slice the pork and serve with the vegetables and the cooking juices spooned over the top. Each serving provides
37 g protein
8.5 g fat of which 3 g saturates
54 g carbohydrate
7.5 g fibre
1053 mg sodium
2045 kilojoules (488 Calories) | 
