I am constantly after good stuffings for a festive roast. One of onions with vine fruits and whole shallots worked for me for several years. Another of sausagemeat, chopped chestnuts and sage proved successful for a Christmas bird, as did one of mashed chickpeas and paprika. (Good with duck, that one.)
A festive stuffing needs a little sweetness if it is to evoke the season. Dried apricots, prunes and figs all add a touch of yule tidings to a sausage-based forcemeat. This year I have a new one, thick with soft dates, whose sweetness is balanced with fennel seeds, chilli flakes and needles of rosemary. I use it in a belly pork roast, but it will be a splendid one for the turkey, too, or even the goose if there is to be a sharp apple sauce as well.
What I really like about this new recipe is not only its appropriateness for the season, but its dark and sticky character that makes it just as good with cold cuts as with the big sizzling roast itself.
Roast pork, date and onion stuffing
I am no butcher. The stuffing, rolling and tying of a large piece of meat leaves me in need of more hands than I possess. A friend can come in handy at this point. Ask the butcher for a piece of pork belly, bones removed, the skin finely scored to encourage it to crackle. The dates and spices lend a suitably festive air.
Serves 6, with some left for sandwiches
pork belly skin on and scored, boned weight 2kg
smoked streaky bacon 200g
olive oil 2 tbsp
onions 3
garlic 3 cloves
dates 250g, stone-in weight
fennel seeds 1 tbsp
chilli flakes 1 tsp
sage leaves 5
thyme 6 sprigs
rosemary needles 1 tbsp
lemon 1, finely grated zest
carrots 3
celery 3 ribs
Marsala 400ml, dry
Preheat the oven to 220C/gas mark 8.
Make the stuffing: remove the rind from the bacon and discard. Cut the rashers into small, stamp-sized pieces then fry, with the oil, in a shallow pan until the fat is pale gold.
Meanwhile, peel and roughly chop the onions and add them to the bacon, letting them cook, over a low to moderate heat, for a good 15 minutes until they are soft enough to crush between finger and thumb. Peel and finely slice the garlic and add to the softening onions.
Halve each date, removing the stone as you go, then chop roughly and stir into the onions and bacon. Mix in the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, the chopped leaves of the sage, thyme and rosemary then stir in the grated lemon zest. Mix well and season lightly with salt then remove from the heat.
Roughly chop the carrots and celery and put them in a roasting tin large enough to take the rolled pork. Place the pork skin-side down on a chopping board, spread the stuffing over the meat, not quite to the edges, then roll into a fat sausage and secure as best you can with string.
Roast the pork for 30 minutes till the skin has started to bubble and blister appetisingly then lower the heat to 160C/gas mark 4, pour in the Marsala and leave to roast for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, checking its progress from time to time.
Remove the meat and leave it to rest. You can serve the carrots and celery with the meat if you wish, but their function is merely to flavour the roasting juices. Place the roasting tin over a moderate heat and bring to the boil, stirring in any tasty-looking bits and pieces from the sides of the roasting tin and checking the seasoning. Serve with the roast and its crackling.
Roast pork and red cabbage sandwiches
Only a supermarket needs to weigh the filling for a sandwich, so we can cheerfully dispense with such details. The quick pickle will make at least six open sandwiches, maybe more. It will keep in good nick for a day or two. Rather fine with a pork pie.
leftover roast pork at room temperature
bread for toast
leftover roasting juices or gravy
leftover stuffing
crackling cut into strips
For the cabbage:
red cabbage 450g
fennel 125g
white-wine vinegar 125ml
apple juice 125ml
coriander seeds 1 tsp
black peppercorns ½ tsp
salt flakes ½ tsp
soft brown sugar 3 tsp
Halve the red cabbage then shred finely. Finely shred the fennel. Pour the vinegar and apple juice into a stainless-steel saucepan, bring to the boil then add the coriander seeds, peppercorns, salt and brown sugar.
When the sugar has dissolved add the shredded red cabbage and fennel and lower the heat. Cover with a lid. Let the cabbage cook, over a moderate heat, for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. The cabbage will soften, but still retain a little crunch. Remove from the heat.
Slice the roast pork thinly. Toast the bread on both sides until lightly crisp and golden. Warm any of the roasting juices from the pan in a small saucepan and spoon them over the toasted bread. Spread some of the leftover stuffing over the toast.
Spoon warm red cabbage over the toast. Place slices of roast pork and strips of shattered crackling over the cabbage and serve.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk
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