Roast Pork with Fennel

Porchetta con Finnocchio, is one of those dishes and is served not just around Christmas but whenever there is reason to celebrate. Similar in preparation to most pork roasts, this roast differs because of the cut of meat used and for the use of fennel, finnocchio, as seasoning.

Yield:
Serves a crowd
Category:
Pork
Cuisine:
Italian

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 raw picnic shoulder ham, skin on, bone removed, butterflied
  • 4 tbsp fennel fronds, chopped
  • 4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 8 – 10 garlic cloves, diced
  • 3 – 4 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • olive oil
  • 1 tbsp marjoram
  • 12 whole garlic cloves
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 carrots, cut into large pieces
  • fingerlings or new potatoes
  • 3 rosemary sprigs
  • 6 cups chicken stock, divided
  • 3 cups dry white wine, divided
  • 3 tbsp All Purpose flour
  • butter
  • water

DIRECTIONS:

  1. About an hour before the porchetta is to go into the oven, combine the fennel fronds, parsley, chopped garlic, and rosemary. Add enough olive oil to make a paste, stir, and set aside.
  2. Use a sharp knife to score the pork skin, making a checkerboard or diamond pattern. Try to avoid cutting deeply into the pork meat, if at all.
  3. Place the roast, skin-side down, and “open it,” revealing as much surface area inside the roast as possible.
  4. Evenly coat the exposed flesh with the herbal paste created in Step Season with marjoram before liberally seasoning with salt & pepper.
  5. Use twine to tie the roast securely. Set roast aside while it loses its chill.
  6. In a roasting pan, add the sliced onions, fennel, celery, and whole garlic cloves. Season liberally with salt & pepper.
  7. Place the roast atop the bed of roasting vegetables. Pre-heat oven to 450˚.
  8. Coat the roast with olive oil, add 2 cups stock plus 1 cup wine to

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