Ingredients

• ½ pork loin, rib-end
• 6 large parsnips, peeled and cut lengthways
• 6 small red onions, peeled
• 6 stuffed apples, prepared (see Weekend magazine)
•   salt
•   black pepper

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/gas 7.
2. Ask your butcher to score through the skin about 1cm apart then remove it from the loin, leaving about 1cm of fat on the loin. Score the fat across so it goes nice and crisp when cooked.
3. Season the skin well and place on a tray in the oven to start crackling — this will take around 15–20 minutes, depending on how moist the skin is. Remove when golden and crisp and put to one side.
4. Meanwhile, parboil the parsnips and red onions in boiling, salted water for about 5 minutes.
5. Prepare the stuffed apples and smear any excess flavoured butter from the apples all over the pork loin.
6. Place the prepared apples in the tray, butter side facing down, with the parboiled parsnips and red onions. Put the pork on top and place in the oven for 1 hour.
7. After half an hour, take the tray out of the oven, remove the pork to a plate, and carefully toss the onions and parsnips in all the lovely cooking juices, trying not to disrupt the apples. Put the pork back on top and continue cooking for half an hour at 180°C/gas 4 until nice and golden.
8. When done, remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Turn the oven off, but keep the veggies and crackling warm in the oven until ready to serve.
9. Carve the pork and divide between 6 plates with the veggies and an apple each.

Notes