Ingredients

• 300g/10½oz pork fillet (tenderloin)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
• finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano
• finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 50g/2oz butter
• 1 red onion
• finely chopped
• 1 eating apple
• peeled and finely chopped
• 100g/3½oz Puy lentils
• freshly cooked
• 150ml/5fl oz farmhouse cider
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp flatleaf parsley
• 25g/1oz butter
• 200g/7oz creamy
• well-seasoned mashed potato
• to serve

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas 6.
• To make the herb crust
• mix together the herbs
• garlic
• olive oil and honey. Roll the pork fillet in the mixture to coat well.
• Heat a pan until it's red-hot. Add the herb-crusted pork and sear for one minute on each side. Transfer to the oven and cook for a further ten minutes. Remove the pork and leave to rest for at least five minutes before serving.
• In a clean pan
• heat the butter until it foams. Add the onion and apple and cook them together for two minutes. Add the lentils and cider
• and give them a few seconds of cooking time before you add the honey and mustard. Let the lentils warm for 2-3 minutes
• then season and add the parsley. The idea is to leave enough 'cidery' liquid in the lentils to provide a sauce.
• At the last minute
• stir in the butter to thicken the sauce.
• Carve the pork into 1cm (0.5in) thick chunks. Lay the pork slices onto the mash and spoon the lentils and liquor all around.