Issue1 TasteBound compressed - Flipbook - Page 76
FRENCH LESSONS
Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini in action at The Cook's Atelier
Herbed pork roast
SERVES 6-8
The French enjoy pork in all its various forms; walk into any butcher or charcuterie
near us and you’ll see everything from steaks and roasts to terrines and trotters.
We love it too; French producers tend to really let pigs be pigs as they’re raised, and
the meat here has a rich flavour and colour. Start this recipe by finding a good
quality cut from a free-range pig. This roast pairs particularly well with the white
bean salad on p77. Adding a couple of knobs of lemon confit butter (see recipe, right)
to the roast just before serving adds a bit of brightness.
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74
1 x 1.5kg boneless pork
loin roast
1tbsp fleur de sel
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
plus extra to drizzle
Small handful fresh sage
leaves
12 rosemary sprigs, plus
extra to serve
20 thyme sprigs, plus extra
to serve
3 fresh bay leaves
2 heads of garlic, halved
across the equators
1 medium yellow onion,
quartered
1 lemon, quartered
Lemon confit butter
(optional; see recipe, right)
TA S T E B O U N D
Remove the pork loin from the fridge about an hour
before cooking to let it come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 205C. Pat the loin dry. Using
butcher’s twine, tie the loin to secure the meat for
even roasting. Dry it well with kitchen paper and
season liberally with the fleur de sel.
In a large oval roasting pan, heat the olive oil
over a medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
Turn the pan to coat it evenly with the olive oil,
then add the loin and sear, turning occasionally,
for 8-10 minutes until browned and caramelised
on all sides. Remove from the pan and let the loin
rest for about 5 minutes on a cutting board, until
comfortable to touch.
Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Arrange the sage, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves
all over the roast, securing the sprigs here and
there under the string. Return the seared roast to
the roasting pan. Add the garlic, onion and lemon
to the roasting pan and drizzle everything
generously with olive oil. Season the aromatics
to taste with salt and pepper.
Roast for about 45 minutes until the internal
temperature of the meat reads 55C. Remove the
butcher’s twine, discard the aromatics and let the
meat rest for 10-15 minutes on a wooden cutting
board (until its temperature rises to 57C). Add
a couple of knobs of lemon confit butter, if using,
to the top of the roast while it rests.
Carve the roast and serve, arranging the slices
of pork on a platter with the lemon quarters and
additional fresh herbs.
Lemon
confit butter
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225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 good-quality preserved lemon, rinsed
and dried
Put the butter in a medium bowl. Quarter the lemon
and remove and discard any interior pulp. Using
a small sharp knife, remove and discard any white
pith, leaving just the zest (the deep yellow part of
the rind). Finely mince the zest.
Using a wooden spoon, incorporate the lemon
zest into the softened butter, then season to taste
with a pinch of fleur de sel.
PHOTOS: ANSON SMART
risp, spring sunshine spills into The Cook’s
Atelier in Beaune, France, where Marjorie
Taylor is teasing her daughter, Kendall
Smith Franchini. ‘I always like to say it’s her
fault,’ she laughs, leaning over the kitchen’s
gleaming, Instagram-famous marble counter.
‘She was the Francophile of the family.’
With a knowing eye-roll, Smith Franchini
leans in, mirroring her mother as she begins
to retrace their footsteps. ‘She’s a single
mom, so we’ve been a very close
