A classic British Sunday roast — a rolled pork loin with crackling, surrounded by fennel and apple that caramelise in the roasting juices.
Serves 6 peoplePrep 20 minCook 1 hr 40 min
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Ingredients
- 1.5 kg boneless pork loin, skin on, rolled and tied
- 1 tbsp coarse salt (for the crackling)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 fennel bulbs, cut into wedges
- 3 eating apples, cored and quartered
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200 ml dry cider or apple juice
- 200 ml chicken stock
Method
- 1Score the skin deeply at 1 cm intervals without cutting into the meat. Rub salt, fennel seeds, and pepper vigorously into the cuts. Refrigerate uncovered overnight to dry the skin.
- 2Remove from the fridge 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 230 °C.
- 3Place pork skin-up in a roasting tin. Roast at 230 °C for 25 minutes to blister the crackling.
- 4Reduce to 180 °C. Toss fennel and apple around the pork with olive oil. Pour cider around (not over) the pork. Continue roasting for 60–70 minutes until a probe reads 68 °C.
- 5Rest pork for 15 minutes. Deglaze the tin with stock and simmer for 5 minutes for a sauce. Slice and serve with the caramelised fennel and apple.
Chef's tip
Dry skin is the key to crackling — the overnight uncovered rest in the fridge is not optional. Wet skin steams instead of blistering.