Jamie Oliver's Superb Marinated Pork Fillet Roasted on Rhubarb

December 11, 2001

One of my work colleagues enjoys pottering in the kitchen and sometimes takes a lunchtime stroll to pick up the meat for the evening meal. He usually asks me to remind him to collect it from the fridge before he leaves work. I often ask what he's bought and I noted recently he'd been buying quite a few pork fillets.

Seems he's taken a shine to a Jamie Oliver recipe that was run recently in our newspaper, and which feature's in Oliver's latest book, Happy Days with the Naked Chef. It's called Superb Marinated Pork Fillet Roasted on Rhubarb. The family gave me this book for my birthday so I decided to try it for myself last weekend.

Oliver says this dish always surprises people when he serves it to them.

"The pork fillet doesn't take long to cook, and by roasting it on the rhubarb you'll get fantastic flavours and a superb juice. An excellent accompaniment to the rich meat, just like apple sauce."

My colleague leaves out the rhubarb because he's not a rhubarb fan. I used it, but I think mine could have benefited from a sprinkling of sugar or a good grind of salt. One thing interesting about rhubarb when you're cooking it - if you add a little salt to the pan, you won't need as much sugar. The salt serves to level out some of the tartness.

I am a huge fan of Jamie Oliver's food. It's maximum flavour for little effort and I've never been disappointed with any of the dishes I've tried.

One of my son Ben's friends Hayley works at Monte's - http://www.montes.co.uk - in London with Oliver and she featured in one of his recent episodes and in his new book. She makes luscious cakes and Ben was pretty chuffed when she baked him a special birthday cake last year - something that would sell at Monte's for several pounds a slice.

Back to the recipe.

Superb Marinated Pork Fillet Roasted on Rhubarb

1 large handful of fresh sage
2 cloves garlic, peeled
olive oil
2 pork fillets, trimmed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 slices of prosciutto or Parma ham
12 long sticks of baby rhubarb, washed

First bash up half your sage with a pestle and mortar or use a metal bowl with a rolling pin. Add your garlic and smash. Add 5 tablespoons of olive oil, then rub the mixture all over your pork fillets and allow to marinate for an hour if possible.

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. Lightly season the pork and drape 5 slices of prosciutto over each fillet - any excess marinade can be rubbed onto this as well. Cut your rhubarb into finger-sized pieces and place in an appropriately sized roasting tray (preferably not aluminium as it will taint the rhubarb). Place the pork on top of the rhubarb, almost tucking it into bed. Sprinkle over the rest of your sage leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Get yourself a piece of greaseproof paper, wet it and scrunch it up. Then lay it over the meat and tuck it in round the sides. Cook in the preheated oven 15 minutes, then remove the paper and cook for an extra 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes. Pour any juice that comes out of the meat back into the roasting tray. Serve the meat with the rhubarb, the lovely juices from the tray and roast potatoes.

© Jamie Oliver