Ingredients
2 pork tenderloins
Half a carrot
Half an onion and a quarter of a leek, finely chopped
200ml each of chicken and beef stock
Half of a small black pudding, diced
1 small apple, diced
A splash of apple juice
150g yellow split peas, coriander and fennel seeds
1 clove of garlic
Fresh mint.
This recipe is a product of one of the simplest facts about cooking: pork goes well with pork. A Spanish style pork and tomato stew is easily improved upon with slow cooked chorizo, a full English breakfast is only ever at its best with both sausages and bacon, and in this dish the richness of the black pudding with the tenderloin works just as well.
Sous vide equipment is relatively expensive, but the technique can be improvised at home by putting the food in a zip-lock bag (or tightly wrapping it in cling film), and then submerging it in a pan of water, checking the temperature with a digital thermometer and adjusting the heat as you go.
For the sauce: Remove the silvery membrane from the tenderloins and trim the meat to give it a nice shape.
Brown the trimmings in a hot pan, then deglaze with water. Reduce the liquid to nothing and brown the meat again.
Add the vegetables and lightly brown, then add the stocks.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for thirty minutes. Strain the sauce and reduce till slightly thickened, check the seasoning and set aside..
For the tenderloin: Season all over with salt, then using the improvised sous vide method described above cook at 60 degrees Celsius for an hour and a half.
If all that’s too much hassle, prepare all other parts of the recipe first then roast the tenderloins in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes.
For the split peas: Put the peas in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil. Strain the water off, put the peas back in the pan with fresh water and bring to a simmer.
Cook for around 30-45 minutes until soft, then strain. Toast a half teaspoon of coriander seeds and a quarter teaspoon of fennel seeds in a dry pan for thirty seconds, then crush them. Alternatively use dried coriander powder and leave the fennel seeds whole.
Finely chop the garlic, and cook gently for a minute or two in oil, add the split peas, plenty of salt and the spices.
For the puree: Cook the black pudding over a low heat for a few minutes until beginning to soften and release its fat. Add the apple and cook for a further minute.
Add enough apple juice to come halfway up the mixture and cook over a medium high heat for 5-6 minutes until the apple is softened.
Purée in a blender and pass through a fine sieve. Season and set aside.
For the finishing touches:
Take the pork out of the bag or cling film and sear in a very hot pan for 30 seconds to a minute, until browned. Drag a tablespoon of the puree across the plate, add a spoonful of the split peas.
Slice the tenderloins in half, then each in half again and put on top of the lentils. Pour the sauce around the plate, then add some small sprigs of mint.
Serve with potatoes.