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Roast leg of pork with sweet onions and sage

Preparation time
30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time
1 to 2 hours

Serves
Serves 6–8

By Jeremy Lee
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the roast leg of pork

  • 2kg/4lb 8oz pork leg, off the bone
  • 6 shallots, halved lengthways
  • 2 pink roscoff or red onions, each cut into 6 pieces through the root
  • 8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • small sprig thyme, leaves removed and chopped
  • small sprig summer savory, leaves picked
  • 1 radicchio, halved through the root
  • 1 tardivo radicchio (or 2 large heads of radicchio), halved through the root
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 18 sage leaves
  • 50ml/2fl oz light vegetable or sunflower oil

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.

  2. To make the roast pork liberally coat the pork with salt and pepper. Add the shallots, onions, garlic, and herb stalks to a large roasting tin, ensuring they are evenly spread out. Place the pork on top of the vegetables and roast on the middle shelf for 10 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and cook for a further hour.

  3. Remove the tray from the oven and carefully transfer the onions and garlic onto a dish using a slotted spoon, cover and set aside. Remove and discard the herb stalks. Sprinkle the pork with half of the finely chopped herb leaves and plenty of black pepper, then cover with foil and allow to rest for at least half an hour.

  4. Preheat a cast iron pan over a moderate heat. Lay the raddichio and tardivo cut side down on the pan and cook for 5–10 minutes. The leaves closest to the heat will curl and colour like paper. Turn the leaves and cook for a further 5 minutes, until tender. Remove the halves from the pan and set aside for later.

  5. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, vinegar and remaining chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper and spoon the dressing over the charred raddicho.

  6. Add the vegetable oil to the same heavy based pan over a high heat. Once hot add the sage leaves, a few at a time. Carefully flip the leaves and when they begin to colour quickly lift them out of the oil using a slotted spoon and place onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Continue until all the leaves are fried. Drain on kitchen paper and lightly season with sea salt.

  7. Peel the cooked garlic, then chop each raddichio and tardivo into 3 pieces and dress with the cooked onions and garlic and season with salt and pepper.

  8. Remove the pork from the roasting tin and slice.

  9. Pour any juices from the vegetables into the pork tin. Place over a high heat until bubbling.

  10. Place the radicchio and roasted vegetables on a serving platter. Top with the slices of pork and cover with the roasting juices. Scatter over the fried sage leaves to garnish.

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