Ingredients
- 1.25kg (2lb 12oz) English free-range pork loin, boned and rolled, skin scored (ask your butcher to do this)
- 6 eating apples, quartered
- small handful of star anise, broken into shards
- handful cloves
- 2 onions, quartered
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 1tbsp cider vinegar
- 2tbsp honey
- 3 branches fresh thyme
Method
Heat the oven to 220 C, 200 C fan, 425 F, gas 7. Sprinkle the pork with lots of sea salt and black pepper and place on a wire rack over a roasting tin. Roast for 25 minutes, then turn the oven down to 190 C, 170 C fan, 375 F, gas 5 and roast for another 1 hour 10 minutes, draining the fat occasionally.
Stud each apple quarter with 2 shards of star anise and 2 cloves. Arrange them in a roasting tin with the onions, and drizzle with the oil, vinegar and honey. Scatter the thyme on top, season and bake on the low shelf of the oven for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Keep an eye on them – if they look too dry pour over some more oil and honey.
When the pork is done, remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes while the apples and onions keep cooking. When the apples are golden and beginning to pop, and the onions are slightly charred and gooey, remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl. Serve the pork and crackling in slices with the chutney on the side.
