Serves  2           

This is a recipe that I have been making for years, at least 15 or so. I always make it for informal dinner parties for friends and family when you want something different but not too complicated or fancy.

To be honest with you, I don’t even remember how I came up with this recipe but I do know that guests have always loved it. It is an unusual combination of ingredients but that’s what makes it work. I guess you’ll just have to try for yourself.

You have to stuff the tenderloin first. Then you can cook the polenta and the prepared tenderloin at the same time,  since the cooking time is about the same.

Ingredients Tenderloin;

1 Pork Tenderloin weighing about 12 – 14 oz

1 thin slice Serrano ham or Parma ham

1 tbsp. Ketjap Manis

1 tbsp. Apricot Jam

1 spring onion

Salt and Pepper

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 glass dry Sherry

Ingredients Polenta;

1 C. Polenta

2 C. milk

1 1/2 C. Chicken stock, good quality

3 tbsp. butter

1/3 C. Parmesan Cheese, grated

Method;

Start by preparing the tenderloin. Lay it out on a chopping board and make a deep cut lengthwise but not all the way thru, about halfway. Open up and flatten with the palm of your hand.

In a little bowl combine the apricot preserve and the ketjap and spread all of it in the middle of the tenderloin. Cover with the ham and put the spring onion on top. Now close the tenderloin and fasten with kitchen twine.

Meanwhile bring to a boil the milk with the chicken stock. Add the polenta and stirring now and then cook for about 18 to 20 minutes. Just before the end add the butter and half the parmesan cheese. Taste the polenta and add salt and pepper (if necessary).  Reserve the other half for serving.

Heat a frying pan on the stove and add butter and olive oil. Cook the tenderloin, browning it all over and turning every few minutes. Give the polenta a stir now and then.

The tenderloin will take about 18 minutes, remove to  cutting board and cover loosely with tin foil. Remove the twine and slice.

Add the sherry to the pan with the meat juices and scrape to loosen  the crusty bits.

To serve, place a good amount of polenta on a plate, serve with a few slices of the tenderloin and the sherry gravy, Serve with more parmesan cheese on the side. Place a few crispy sage leafs on the polenta.

To make the crispy sage leafs, just fry them in the the pan alongside the tenderloin,frying a few leafs at a time just for two minutes or so, place them on kitchen paper until ready to use.

Enjoy

Myra Xo

Looking for more great recipes to try?  Be sure to check out this Pollo al Ajillo, Chicken in Garlic Sauce .