As Promised

Rosemary. Quite possibly my favourite herb in the garden. It's aromatic, woody, versatile and, of course, unarguably delicious. I've used it in soups, stews, salads, hollandaise, butters, deserts, marinades, you name it and I've tried putting the piny, tea-like qualities of rosemary alongside it. Perhaps one of my favourite applications to discover, however, has been the way it so fabulously pairs with the somewhat sweet, anise characteristics of fennel seed.

Not so long ago I told you that I would begin submitting recipes for those curious taste buds out there, and, as a man of my word, and in the spirit of rosemary, I offer you the following tasty little entree, which, over the course of many seasons, I have found to be most comforting and always fulfilling. Of course, as with any recipe, it can always be improved, so, as you try it out and explore the nuances of each ingredient, let me know of any changes, suggestions, or other alterations you make along the way, I always enjoy when food gets better; but, no matter how it is you decide prepare it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


Rosemary and Fennel Pork Tenderloin

What you will need:

Pork tenderloin - trimmed of excess fat and silver skin removed

1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
3 sprigs fresh chopped rosemary
2 heads garlic, finely chopped
Good hearty pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, left whole

1/2 cup white wine
1 cup stock - pork if you have it, but chicken will work as well

Oven preheated to 400 degrees

On a cutting board, or clean flat surface, mix together and spread evenly the rosemary, fennel seed, garlic, salt and pepper. Place the tenderloin onto the board and roll through the herb mixture, they should stick to the meat naturally, but give them a little tender loving help if need be.

Next, in a pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and once it's nice and hot sear the tenderloin on all sides, approximately 2-minutes per side or until you get a nice golden brown caramel colour. Remove the tenderloin from pan and set aside.

With the pan still on medium heat, add your onions, celery, carrots and garlic and gently sweat the vegetables to release their wonderful aromatics, about 1-2 minutes will do.

Cut the heat from the burner, return the tenderloin to the pan, resting it on top of the vegetables and place into the oven for about 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 140-145 degrees. Remove from oven, place tenderloin onto a plate and tent with foil (meat will continue to cook at this point to about 145-150 degrees, which is a perfect perfect happy place for tenderloin to be; and remember: it's okay for pork to be a little bit pink...times have changed and trichinosis isn't as much of a threat as it once was.)

Return the pan, vegetables and all to the burner (remember that the handle will be hot so please use a dry towel* to maneuver it; I've had my share of palm-burns simply because I forgot it's been in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes...not fun)

Turn the burner back to medium-high and add the white wine to deglaze all that goodness from the bottom of your pan. Once the wine has reduced by half, add your stock and continue cooking down until it has reached a nice sauce consistency. Note: if you'd prefer a gravy-like consistency to this sauce you could add cornstarch mixed with cold water to thicken it, but I personally don't think it's necessary.

Lastly, slice the tenderloin, serve with choice of sides (wild mushroom rice and a mashed potato and celeriac combination would be nice here) strain the sauce over the meat and enjoy!

*Always use a dry towel when handling hot pans - wet towel + hot steel = steam, which in turn equals pain.

Cheers all!

Phil