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Versatile and quick to cook, pork fillet is just the ticket at Christmastime – pre-order this cut at your butcher.
Serves 12 as part of a charcuterie platter
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35–40 minutes
Oven temperature: 180°C
- 3 pork fillets (about 1kg in total), trimmed
- 140g Parma ham (at least 12 slices)
- 15ml olive oil
FILLING
- 250g ricotta
- 125ml cream cheese with chives
- a large pinch chilli flakes
- zest of 1 lemon
- 125ml small gherkins
1. Preheat the oven. Using a sharp knife, cut a slit in the fillets, lengthways, about three-quarters of the way through and open them up. It’s important not to cut through the meat completely; your filling will leak out. Press gently on the meat to flatten it.
2. Season the inside of the pork fillets with salt and pepper. Mix the ricotta, cream cheese, chilli and lemon zest, season with salt and pepper, and divide between the 3 fillets. Arrange a line of whole gherkins down the middle of the filling in each of the fillets. Fold the meat around the filling and wrap each fillet in 4 slices of Parma ham to form a neat roll.
3. Lightly oil the outside of the rolls, arrange on an oven tray loosely covered with foil, and roast until just cooked but still juicy. Depending on size, this should take about 35–40 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing if you plan to serve it warm; otherwise, allow to cool completely.
4. To serve, slice the pork into 1cm wheels and arrange on a platter with sweet mustard and your choice of cold meats, cheese and preserves.
Be sure to ask the butchery
staff to remove the thin silver
membrane on the outside of
the fillet with their razor-sharp
knives. This will ensure that the
fillet doesn’t curl up while
being cooked.
