Recipes

Roast Pork Loin with Savory Fennel Bread Pudding

Cuisine: American

Type: Main Course

Serves: 8

Source:	Cooking Light 2005
Attributes:	Healthy
Comments:	The pork and bread pudding both need to be baked at 350, so start the bread pudding, then add the pork after about 30 minutes. To ensure that both the pork and pudding brown evenly, switch pans on the oven racks once during baking.
Serving Suggestions:	Green Salad, mixed

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
8 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 (2 pound) pork loin
1 tsp. olive oil
3 cups sliced fennel (about 1 large bulb)
2 cups sliced onion
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
2 (14 oz) cans fat-free chicken broth, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
8 oz. French bread or other firm white bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded fontina cheese (I'd double this next time)

Cooking spray

1 tbs. ground fennel seeds

Instructions:

1. Combine sugar, water and salt in a large bowl, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Add pork, cover and brine 2 hours to overnight in refrigerator.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F.

3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced fennel, onion, and 2 garlic cloves; cook until golden brown (about 20 minutes), stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup broth, cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in 1/4 tsp pepper. Add remaining broth, bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

4. Combine bread and fennel mixture. Stir in cheese. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7" baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown. Don't be afraid to let the tops get crispy.

5. While bread pudding bakes, rinse pork and pat dry. Combine fennel seeds, 2 garlic cloves and 1/4 tsp pepper; rub evenly over pork.

6. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan, cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Place skillet in over, bake at 350°F for 40 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 140 (slightly pink). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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