Pork Wellington

Prep time: 1.5 hrs | Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

•⁠ ⁠800–900g pork fillet trimmed

•⁠ ⁠15ml olive oil

•⁠ ⁠freshly ground black pepper

•⁠ ⁠200g smoked pancetta slices

•⁠ ⁠320–350g ready‑rolled puff pastry

•⁠ ⁠1 egg, beaten

•⁠ ⁠120–150g Paxo sage & onion stuffing mix

•⁠ ⁠200ml just‑boiled water

•⁠ ⁠50g chopped dry cranberries

•⁠ ⁠300g sausage meat

•⁠ ⁠80–100g cranberry sauce

•⁠ ⁠5g fresh thyme & Sage leaves

•⁠ ⁠fine sea salt

Method:

1.⁠ ⁠Season pork fillet all over with salt 1 and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pan on medium‑high. Sear pork 1–2 minutes per side until lightly browned all over (but still raw in the centre)

2.⁠ ⁠Put Paxo stuffing mix in a bowl, add just‑boiled water as per packet (about 200ml), butter and salt, stir and leave 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then mix in thyme, sage, chopped cranberries and sausage meat if using. Cool completely.

3.⁠ ⁠On a sheet of clingfilm, overlap pancetta slices in a rectangle slightly longer than the pork and wide enough to wrap it. Spread an even layer of stuffing on top, Then spread cranberry sauce in a thin layer, leaving a 2cm border at one long edge. Place pork along the centre and tightly roll the pancetta and stuffing around it using the paper, creating a neat log. Chill 20–30 minutes to firm.

4.⁠ ⁠Lay puff pastry on a tray lined with baking paper. Unwrap the pork log and place it in the centre. Wrap pastry around, sealing edges well and trimming any excess. Crimp seams, place seam‑side down, then decorate with off‑cuts if you like. Brush all over with beaten egg and chill 15–20 minutes while you heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

5.⁠ ⁠Brush again with egg. Score the top lightly with a sharp knife or Place lattice over the top. Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 30 minutes until pastry is deep golden and the pork reaches about 30c in the centre (slightly blush) or cooked to your preference. Rest in a warm place for 20 minutes or until the centre is 60°C before slicing thickly and serving with extra cranberry sauce and your Christmas trimmings.

Storage:

Cool leftovers, wrap well and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat slices at 170°C for 15–20 minutes until hot through, covering with foil if the pastry browns too much. Not ideal for freezing once baked, but cold slices are amazing with chutney and salad.