Aside from making your own mustard, manipulating the seeds to infuse your dishes with flavour is a great place to start. These Bombay-style potatoes are a brilliant expression of that.David Loftus
This week, I thought it was about time I shared a delicious Sunday roast recipe that'll knock your socks off. Succulent, juicy and super indulgent, pork loin is a classic roasting joint and absolutely epic alongside salty crackling and good roast potatoes. To make it extra special, I've added my own feisty mustard twist – as any chef or pit-master these days knows, mustard has an incredible ability to impart attitude to anything it touches, and that's certainly the case here.
Mustard, available in so many different guises, all starts from the humble mustard seed. You can get brown, yellow, black, hot and mild, you can buy them ground into flour, cracked or left whole, and each provides a unique flavour that can really bring your cooking to life. It's also incredibly easy to make your own mustard, using the seeds as a base and combining them with vinegar, salt, honey and any spices or herbs you like to create all sorts of wonderful results. I've added lavender buds, chili, star anise and even beer to my homemade mustards over the years. The possibilities are endless.
Aside from making your own mustard, manipulating the seeds to infuse your dishes with flavour is a great place to start. These Bombay-style potatoes are a brilliant expression of that, and definitely worth a try. Enjoy!
Servings: 6
INGREDIENTS
6 pork loin chops on the bone, French-trimmed (ask your butcher to do this for you), skin reserved
Olive oil
3 tablespoons English
mustard powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1¹/³ cups cider
3 red onions
2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) red potatoes
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
½ a small bunch of fresh sage
(15 grams)
Splash of cider vinegar
1¹/³ cups hot organic chicken stock
Method
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly score the pork fat with a sharp knife. Season well and drizzle with a little oil.
In a small bowl, make a paste with 1 tablespoon of water, the mustard powder and 1 tablespoon of flour. Rub the mixture all over the loin.
On a chopping board, score the pork skin with a very sharp knife. Put a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the skin, fat-side down, and cook for a few minutes, or until some of the fat starts to run out. Carefully remove the skin from the pan and set aside, leaving the flavoursome fat behind.
Add loin to the same pan and sear for 10 minutes, turning with tongs until it reaches a lovely golden colour all over.
Pour the cider over the pork in the pan and allow it to bubble away for 1 minute.
Peel, roughly slice and put the onions in a roasting tray, then place the pork on top. Pour the hot cider over the top, then place the tray on the middle shelf of the oven. Place the skin on a rack over the pork and roast for 1 hour, turning occasionally, keeping an eye on the crackling.
Wash the potatoes, then cut into small cubes and put into a 25-cm x 30-cm roasting tray. Sprinkle over the turmeric, then drizzle with a little oil. Melt the butter, then pour on top.
Lightly crush the unpeeled garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife and pop them into the tray with the mustard seeds and whole-grain mustard. Pick in the sage leaves.
Toss with the potatoes, season and place the tray in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and crispy, tossing occasionally, and the meat is cooked through and golden.
Set the crackling aside, transfer the meat to a platter and cover with foil. Tip the tray juices into a jug and allow the fat to settle on the top for a minute or so. Spoon the fat into a jar and keep in the fridge to use another time (it’s great for roast potatoes).
Return juices to the roasting tray and place on the stove over medium heat. Add vinegar and stir in 1 heaped tablespoon of flour until smooth.
Pour in the stock, bring to the boil and simmer, stirring constantly, until the gravy has thickened. Season to taste.
Carve the pork, break up the crackling and serve with the potatoes, gravy and some steamed greens, if you like.