Mushroom Stuffed Fillet of Pork Tenderloin with Radish and Rocket Salad and Garlic Toast

Stuffed fillet of pork tenderloin is very often wrapped in bacon before it is tied and cooked. The bacon fat helps to keep the pork moist. This was precisely what I was about to do on this occasion, when I had an idea: I wondered how it would work if the bacon were actually to be placed on the inside of the fillet of pork tenderloin. I decided that there was only one way to find out and was more than delighted with the result, which provides a very different, alternative stuffed tenderloin recipe.

The quantities today are for one person.

Ingredients

1/2lb fillet of pork tenderloin
2 rashers of bacon
1 closed cup mushroom
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of dried sage
Handful of fresh rocket leaves
Half small red onion
6 radishes
Salt and white pepper
4 slices of French stick bread

Method

The first step is to prepare the mushroom stuffing for the pork tenderloin. The closed cup mushroom should be wiped clean and finely diced. The garlic clove should be peeled and equally finely chopped. The olive oil should be placed in a small saucepan and the garlic, mushroom and dried sage added. Season with salt and white pepper. Gently sautee for two to three minutes only. Set aside for ten to fifteen minutes to cool, while the oven preheats to 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5.

The fillet of pork tenderloin should be laid out on a board with the opened side uppermost. This is the side which has a small groove running down the centre. The cooled mushroom mixture should be used to fill the groove in the centre of the tenderloin.

The bacon should be placed carefully on top of the mushrooms. Note that three or four rashers of streaky bacon could be used here instead.

Three pieces of string about eight inches in length will be required to tie up a pork fillet tenderloin of this size. Slip them under the tenderloin at equal spaces. Gently gather the two long edges of the tenderloin together and tie the pieces of string with simple knots. Place in the centre of a large sheet of tinfoil on a baking tray and fold the tinfoil in to a sealed parcel, similar to a Christmas cracker. Place the tray in the oven for twenty-five minutes.

When the pork is ready, remove it from the oven and set aside for at least ten minutes to rest while the salad and garlic toast is prepared. The radishes should be washed and halved, ensuring that any remaining stem is removed and discarded. The red onion half should be finely sliced. They should both be tossed with the rocket leaves and a little salt and white pepper, before being arranged on a plate as a bed for the pork. Extra virgin olive oil is optional.

The slices of bread should be put on a grill pan and under a hot overhead grill to toast on both sides. While they are toasting, the second garlic clove should be peeled and lightly crushed. This should be rubbed over both sides of the hot toast as soon as it comes off the grill to impart its delicious flavour.

The fillet of pork tenderloin should be sat on a chopping board. The string should be cut with scissors, gently pulled free and discarded before the fillet is sliced to a thickness of about half an inch. The slices should be arranged atop the salad, before the garlic toast is added and the dish served.