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Pork, apple & sage loaf
with butterbean & celeriac mash, braised leeks in a creamy cider & mustard sauce, pickled beetroot

We put this dish on the menu in the last week of October, and it seemed to go down well!  It was pretty much devised from scratch, and with our usual disregard for note taking…  Thus, the recipe we provide should be taken with a generous pinch of salt, although the scheme for the loaf itself should yield consistently good results.  We mention serving with pickled beetroot but do not provide our recipe for this.  It’s easy to make your own, or substitute with shop bought, or any other sweet and earthy pickle. We think the dish benefits from that little bit of tang.

Ingredients (to serve four)

For the loaf

  • 500g minced pork, ideally with some pork belly in the mix
  • 100g stewed apple, some chunks still holding it together
  • 100g breadcrumbs
  • A good handful of sage leaves, finely chopped
  • Two or three cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • An egg
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the mash

  • 250g dried butterbeans, soaked overnight and cooked until tender (reserve the liquor), or two tins of cooked butterbeans (again, reserve the liquor)
  • One head of celeriac around 400g to 600g in weight, chopped into a rough 2cm dice
  • Two cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • A pinch or two of dried thyme
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for roasting the celeriac
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the leeks

  • One large leek, or two or three small (approx 500g raw weight), finely sliced
  • Half a pint of good cider
  • 100ml double cream
  • One tablespoon Dijon or English mustard
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

For the loaf

  • Put all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, with what you estimate to be a good amount of salt and pepper, and mix together until well combined.
  • Take a small amount and form a little patty to fry in some butter or oil for a few minutes on either side. This is a seasoning tester.  Taste and adjust the main mix as necessary.
  • Pack the mix into a lined loaf tin, cover with foil, and bake at 180 degrees Celsius / Gas mark 5 for about one hour, followed by another fifteen minutes with the foil removed.
  • Keep warm, and cut into eight slices to serve, two per person. Alternatively, if made in advance, place the slices on a baking sheet and reheat in a hot oven, covered in foil, for about 10 minutes.  The loaf will keep well for three or four days in the fridge.

For the mash

  • Work the diced celeriac together with the chopped garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and a generous glut of olive oil. Place on a baking tray and roast at 180 degrees Celsius for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the celeriac is tender and taking on plenty of colour.
  • Put the celeriac, cooked butterbeans, olive oil and about 150ml of the butterbean liquor into a food processor and blend. Alternatively, use a masher in a pan.  If it feels too stiff, add a bit more of the liquor.  Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.
  • The mash can be made well in advance, and will keep well for three or four days in the fridge.  If required, reheat in a saucepan to serve, stirring regularly to avoid catching.

For the leeks

  • Place the sliced leeks and cider in a saucepan, with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Bring to the boil and simmer for about three minutes.
  • Add the cream and mustard, bring back to the boil and let reduce for a further five to eight minutes, to achieve desired consistency.
  • Best made à la minute.

To serve

We like to put a disc of mash on the plate first, then the slices of pork loaf, before spooning the leek sauce over the whole. Pasta bowls are great for containing the sauce.