Pork Roast With Winter Fruit Compote
| Christy Rost- 1 3 to 4-pound boneless pork loin roast
- coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large cloves garlic, diced
- 2 teaspoons fresh basil, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Tie the meat with string at ¾-inch intervals to form a nice, round roast, and transfer it to a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Cut ½-inch slits into the top of the meat and fill with some of the diced garlic. Sprinkle the remaining garlic on top of the meat, along with the basil, parsley, and rosemary.
Place the meat in a preheated oven and roast 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and roast 60 to 90 minutes more, or until the center of the meat reaches 160 degrees. Remove it from the oven, cover it loosely with foil, and set it aside to rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with Winter Fruit Compote.
Recipe serves 6.
Winter Fruit Compote
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup dried apricots
- 1 cup pitted purple plums
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup Zante currants
- 2 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
In a large saucepan, stir together water and sugar. Cook over high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in all the fruit. In a small bowl, whisk apple juice into cornstarch until smooth, then add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan, stirring until the sauce thickens.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer the fruit 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve as an accompaniment to poultry, ham, or roasted pork, or as a winter dessert.