Serves 2

Loin of pork is a lean cut that requires careful cooking to prevent it drying out. Here it is cooked inside a foil tent for most of the cooking time, then browned just before being served to keep it juicy.

1 tsp cumin seeds
100g ready-to-eat apricots
25g unsalted pistachios, chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary
4 slices of Parma ham
450g pork fillet, trimmed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
150ml marsala or madeira
150ml chicken stock
Dressed rocket leaves, to serve

1 Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Toast the cumin seeds in a hot, dry pan until they smell fragrant. Finely chop the apricots or blend briefly in a processor, then mix with the cumin and chopped pistachios. Pick the needles from one of the rosemary sprigs, chop finely, then add to the apricot mix.

2 Lay the Parma ham slices on a board, overlapping them slightly. Cut the pork fillet three quarters of the way through the middle. Lay the pork on top of the Parma ham. Open it out, season, then spread the apricot mix along the centre. Fold the pork and ham over to encase the filling.

3 Wrap the pork in a triple layer of clingfilm, twisting the ends tightly to set the shape. Leave in the fridge for as long as you can, ideally overnight if preparing ahead. When you are ready to start cooking, remove the clingfilm. Drizzle a large sheet of foil with a little oil. Put the pork on top and bring the ends of the foil together. Roll the edges to enclose, twisting the ends to seal, then place on a shallow roasting tray.

4 Cook the pork for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and unwrap, reserving any juices. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and sear the pork for 2-3 minutes until the ham is crisp and golden. Transfer to a warmed plate and leave to rest. Add the marsala and stock to the pan with the second rosemary sprig and pork juices, stirring to deglaze. Boil until reduced to a syrupy sauce, then check for seasoning.

5 To serve, thickly slice the pork, then arrange the pork and polenta discs (see recipe) in a semicircle on warmed plates, overlapping each other. Pile the rocket tidily on the side and serve immediately.