Pork Fillet with Kumara and Almond, Paprika and Parsley Dressing

, from Issue #43. August, 2015
Photography by Aaron McLean.
Pork Fillet with Kumara and Almond, Paprika and Parsley Dressing

This dressing with its smoky Spanish paprika, crunch of almonds and sweet honey melds beautifully with the juicy pork fillet and roasted kumara.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

700 grams pork fillets (we use Freedom Farms)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
700 grams orange kumara, peeled
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Almond dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons currants
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

kitchen string

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Pork: Trim off any silverskin with a small sharp knife. Tuck the thin end of the fillet under and tie the pork with kitchen string to retain its shape while cooking.

Rub with a little olive oil, cumin and season well. Place in a shallow ovenproof baking dish.

Slice the kumara ½ cm thick and brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and place in a single layer on a large baking tray.

Place the pork and kumara in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, turning both over halfway through cooking. Rest the pork, lightly covered, for 5 minutes.

Dressing: Whisk the oil, vinegar, garlic, honey and paprika in a bowl and season well. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

To serve: Remove the string and slice the pork thinly on the diagonal. Place the kumara on plates, top with the pork and spoon over the dressing and any juices from resting the pork.