ROAST SIRLOIN OF PORK WITH CAPONATA AND SAGE

Pork Sirloin Roast

Set your oven to 375°.

Take out your Pork from the vacuum packing and pat dry with kitchen paper. Set it aside and let it dry in a cold place.

Place a heavy frying pan on the stove top and turn it on to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season the pork on all sides using salt and pepper and don't be shy with it as it's a big piece of meat. Set the pork fat side down in the pan and let it render down until it's golden brown. Keep moving the pork until you have that golden brown colour all around and it's seared completely so that no juices can escape. Place the pork fat down into the oven in the same pan and roast it for 1 hour 25 mins or till it's 142° in the center using a thermal pen.

Let it rest when it comes out of the oven for 25 minutes before carving so that it retains it's juices.

Meanwhile …...

Caponata with Sage

Ingredients:

2 small egg plants

salt

40 grams capers ( baby )

1 red pepper

1 orange pepper

1 red onion

1 large stick celery

1 packet sage leaves

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

50 grams (3 heaped tablespoons) pine nuts

60g (1/3 cup) black or green olives.

*I use kalamata and they're deseeded.

60g (1/2 cup) sultanas

250g (1 cup) passata or chopped canned Italian tomatoes but you must puree them

1 tablespoon sugar

120ml (1/2 cup) white wine vinegar

Method:

Cut the eggplant into 2cm (1 inch) cubes. Salt them well and then put them into a pasta sieve over a bowl. Put a small plate on top of them and then weight it down, so that it squeezes the egg plants, with a bag of flour or sugar. Leave for at least an hour and then rinse the cubes thoroughly. Pat them dry using paper towels.

Deep fry the egg plant cubes at 150°C (300°F) until they are golden brown, about 6 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain.

Cut the peppers into 2 centimeter squares and deep fry them at 150°C (300°F) for six minutes. Place on paper towels to drain. Chop the onion and celery into large dice.

Heat the olive oil gently in a large pan or skillet. Then add the onion and celery and fry at a low temperature until softened, about 5 minutes. Do not allow them to brown.

Add the capers, pine nuts, olives, and sultanas and cook gently for about another 5 minutes. Add the passata and the sage and simmer for about ten minutes tasting and adjusting for salt after 5 minutes.

Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar and then add to the pan.

Finally add the fried egg plant and peppers and cook for about another 10 minutes.

Add chopped parsley and serve.

You can plate serve this or do it family style and let your guests help themselves.

I served mine with Lemon Couscous.

This dish is amazing with Fish and chicken also because the acidity and full flavours balance the fattiness of the meats. Plus it's got all the fibrancy of spring and summer in it.

Enjoy !!

This recipe was created and photographed by Chef Simon Gosling.

Simon is a Master Chef of Great Britain and has been a chef for over 30 years.