Roast Pork with Pear Sauce and Roast Potatoes

Roast Pork is a traditional family favourite but is of course more commonly served with apple sauce, rather than pear sauce. This was a recipe idea which actually occurred to me in the supermarket last night when I was unable to get one of the ingredients for the dish I intended to make. I am quite happy, however, to leave that dish for another time and share here my idea for Roast Pork with Pear Sauce and Roast Potatoes.

Ingredients

1 joint of pork, suitable for roasting
(Remaining ingredients are per person)
6 or 7 baby new potatoes
1 tbsp frozen peas
1/2 pear
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp caster sugar
Small pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Cold water
Salt

Method

The first step is clearly to roast the pork. Place the pork either on a baking tray and cover it with aluminium foil or in a roasting tin. Put it in to the oven, pre-heated to 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5, for 35 minutes per pound and a half hour over and above this time. Uncover the pork for the last half hour of the cooking time to let the crackling crisp up.

Fifteen minutes before the pork is ready, place the potatoes, whole and unpeeled, in to some boiling salted water to parboil. Peel and chop the pear in to small cubes, discarding the skin and the core. Put the pear in to a small saucepan with the sugar, nutmeg and lemon juice and enough cold water to just cover the pears. Bring to a boil and simmer gently until all other items are ready, stirring occasionally.

When the pork is ready, check that it is indeed cooked all the way through by ensuring the juices run clear and then sit it aside to rest while you prepare the remainder of the ingredients.

Drain the potatoes well and add them to the roasting tin or tray along with the still hot pork juices. Gently tilt the tray backwards and forwards to ensure the potatoes are evenly covered in the juices and put back in to the oven for fifteen minutes. When the potatoes are done, sit them on some kitchen paper to drain and cook the frozen peas in boiling water for three minutes.

It remains then only to plate up your meal. Note that the cooking time in this recipe will leave the pear sauce fairly chunky, but a longer cooking time will result in a smoother finish.