This is one of my very favorite pork dinners. It's easy to make, rich, satisfying, and delicious. This sat in my pile of recipes I intended to try for probably 5 years before I made it for the first time (when a pile of fennel bulbs at Vic Market in Melbourne was too gorgeous to pass up). I use Fontal cheese (a French version of Fontina, apparently) because it was all I could find in Melbourne when I first made this and then it ended up being the only thing available when I was shopping for ingredients here, but the original recipe from Cooking Light calls for Fontina and I'm sure that would be delicious, too. Since both the bread pudding and pork roast at 350°F, you can start baking the bread pudding and then just throw the pork in the oven for the last 30 minutes or so. I've skipped the brining step before due to lack of time and this was still great, so if you run out of time to brine don't let that stop you from trying this...
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Savory Fennel Bread Pudding
1 cup sugar
8 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
2.5 pounds pork tenderloin
2 large fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
1 1/2 onions, thinly sliced
7 garlic cloves, minced (divided)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (divided)
9 ounces French bread or other firm white bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded Fontal or Fontina cheese
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan (optional)
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds
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.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced fennel, onion, and 4 cloves minced garlic. Sauté until golden brown (about 20 minutes), stirring frequently.
Add 1/4 cup broth and cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add remaining broth and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and combine with the bread. Stir in Fontal or Fontina cheese. Spoon mixture into an 9" x 13" baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan (if using). Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown.
While bread pudding bakes, rinse pork and pat dry. Combine fennel seeds, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub evenly over pork. Roast the pork at 350°F until a thermometer registers 140°F, about 20-30 minutes. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve with bread pudding.
Serves 6.
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Savory Fennel Bread Pudding
1 cup sugar
8 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
2.5 pounds pork tenderloin
2 large fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
1 1/2 onions, thinly sliced
7 garlic cloves, minced (divided)
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (divided)
9 ounces French bread or other firm white bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded Fontal or Fontina cheese
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan (optional)
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds
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.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced fennel, onion, and 4 cloves minced garlic. Sauté until golden brown (about 20 minutes), stirring frequently.
Add 1/4 cup broth and cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add remaining broth and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and combine with the bread. Stir in Fontal or Fontina cheese. Spoon mixture into an 9" x 13" baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan (if using). Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown.
While bread pudding bakes, rinse pork and pat dry. Combine fennel seeds, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub evenly over pork. Roast the pork at 350°F until a thermometer registers 140°F, about 20-30 minutes. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes, then slice and serve with bread pudding.Serves 6.
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