I remember very clearly the first time I ate this dish. It was love at first sight. The day was July 4th and I was in Cape Cod. My friend Margot had just returned from a trip to Italy and she was feeding a large group of us with recipes she picked up in Tuscany. Like a bee to honey, I found myself ogling at a platter of baguettes that had been stuffed with pork, wrapped in prosciutto, drizzled with oil and roasted. The taste was even better than I had hoped; the crust was salty and crunchy, the bread was soaked through with roasting juices and herbs while the pork remained tender, insulated in all that deliciousness. Absolute genius!

 

Margot generously shared the recipe with me and I’ve been impressing friends with it ever since. It’s perfect for a large group as you can make it in advance as it’s actually best served at room temperature. Recently, while staying with friends for the weekend, I made it for a large family lunch. Because so little work is involved, my friend Stephen and I managed to go for a hike, a swim and have a leisurely time reading the papers before everyone arrived for lunch. By the time he had set the table, the pork was in the oven and the rest was history.

 

 

Herbed Pork Tenderloin in a Baguette

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin

Sprinkle of sea salt

1 heaping tablespoon Herbes de Provence (We use Taste of Provence)

8 slices of prosciutto

1 good French baguette (not too skinny- about 3 inches in width)

Extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

(String to truss the baguette)

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Pat the pork dry and season lightly with salt then sprinkle half of the Taste of Provence all over the pork.

3. Next, wrap 4 slices of prosciutto around the pork.

5. Cut the baguette so it’s the same length as the pork. Then cut the baguette lengthwise but not all the way through, scooping out as much of the inside of the bread as you can.

6. Drizzle olive oil inside the bread on both sides and sprinkle with the remaining Taste of Provence.

7. Place the pork inside the loaf and then wrap the remaining slices of prosciutto around the outside of the baguette.

8. Tie with string along the length of the baguette to keep in place and then drizzle more olive oil over the baguette on both sides – be generous.

9. Roast for 40 – 45 mins – turning once to make sure both sides are crispy.

10. Let rest for at least 10 minutes. Slice before serving.