Ingredients

• 1.5kg/3lb 5oz loin of pork
• on the bone
• chined (ask your butcher to chine the loin for you - this will make carving easier)
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 sage leaves
• 1 lemon
• halved
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 kg/2¼lb potatoes
• peeled and diced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 500g/1lb 2oz cooking apples
• peeled
• cored and chopped
• 30g/1oz butter
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• freshly ground black pepper
• 30g/1oz soft dark brown sugar

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Using a sharp knife
• score the skin of the pork 12 to 15 times.
• Place the pork in a colander in the sink and pour boiling water over the scored skin - this is to help achieve perfect crackling.
• Put the pork
• skin-side up
• in a roasting tin
• drizzle with a little oil and sprinkle over some salt. Scatter over the sage leaves and add the lemon halves.
• Roast the pork for approximately 1½hours or until cooked through. The juices will run clear when the meat is pierced with a skewer when cooked through.
• Meanwhile
• for the potatoes
• melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Sauté the potatoes with the thyme and garlic for 10 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• For the sauce
• put the apples in a pan with the butter
• water
• vinegar and spices. Cover and cook until softened but chunky. Add sugar to taste.
• Serve the pork cut into portions with the spiced apple sauce and the thyme and garlic sautéed potatoes.