Bagels with Shaved Pork, Fennel and Lime Salad

, from Issue #28. September, 2015
Photography by Nick Tresidder.
Bagels with Shaved Pork, Fennel and Lime Salad

Succulent pork, the zing of lime and a hint of chilli in this crunchy salad make a tasty filling for any type of bread. Use your favourite bagels and lightly toast them if desired.

INGREDIENTS

4 regular sized bagels or 8 mini bagels
butter
4 gherkins, thinly sliced lengthways

Pork
1 pork fillet (I used free-farmed)
finely grated zest 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary or thyme
1 teaspoon olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Salad
1 fennel bulb
1 cup very finely sliced white cabbage
¼ cup chopped coriander
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed
finely grated zest and juice 1 lime
1 long green or red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

METHOD

Pork: Trim any silverskin and excess fat from the pork. Slice lengthways to open out like a book, without cutting all the way through. Season.

Combine the lemon zest, garlic, rosemary and olive oil in a bowl and spread over the cut side of the meat. Fold one side back over and tuck the thin end of the fillet under. Secure at 2 cm intervals with kitchen string. Season.

Heat a sauté pan with a little olive oil and cook the pork on all sides for 12 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate to rest and cool.

Salad: Trim the stalks off the fennel and cut the bulb into quarters. Slice the fennel very finely. A mandolin is perfect for this. Whisk the mayonnaise, garlic, lime zest and juice and chilli in a large bowl. Add all the salad ingredients and toss to combine. Season.

Remove the string from the pork and slice as thinly as possible on the diagonal.

To serve: Halve the bagels and butter each side. Top with sliced gherkin, shaved pork and fennel salad. Makes 4 regular or 8 mini bagels.