Eating the World

Passport & Plate - Inbakad (baked in pork)

Finland | Thursday, March 13, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
1 whole pork tenderloin
1 leek
5 dl cream
500g starchy potatoes
3 carrots
1 small shallot
1 large handful of baby spinach
1 tbs butter
1 tbs flour
1 garlic clove
2 tbs sherry
300 g puff pastr
salt
pepper
dried herbs (like thyme, oregano, rosemary etc)
vegetable oil

How to prepare this recipe
Heat up a pan with oil. Trim the pork tenderloin removing any membrane and excess fat, don't throw the trimmings away! Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper and when the pan is very hot, fry it untill golden brown on all sides. Place the meat aside to cool down.
While the pan is still hot, throw in the trimmings and while they get brown, cut the shallot and garlic clove roughly and add them in. After 2 minutes add in the sherry, bring it to a boil, then add 2dl cream and let it simmer untill it has thickened a bit. Sieve, season and set aside your sauce.
Heat the oven to 200 C.
While the sauce is simmering, cut the white part of the leek lengthwise and give it a wash. Then cut the leek into small slices. Melt the butter in a pot and add the leek. After a few minutes add in the flour, mixing it properly with a wooden spoon so it becomes thick. Cook the mixture on a low temperature for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile peel the potatoes and the carrots and cut them into wedges. Toss the potato wedges in a bit of oil, pepper and dried herbs. The carrots just need some salt and vegetable oil sprinkled over them. Place them on a baking tray and stick them into the oven. Take them out when cooked (roughly 20minutes)!
Now add in 2dl of cream to the leek, mixing constantly so the liquid becomes smooth. Simmer for another 5min, then season with salt and pepper and then cool down quickly to room temperature in the fridge.
Roll out the puff pastry. It should be big enough to properly wrap around the meat. Too big is better. Carefuly place the puff pastry on a buttered oven dish. Smear the tenderloin with the leek mixture on all sides and place it in the middle of the pastry. Carefully fold the sides over, covering the tenderloin. You want to check that the tenderloin is all tucked in and there's no holes for moisture to escape.
Cook in the oven untill the top is golden brown so about 35 minutes.
Toss the spinach in oil, salt and vinegar, reheat your veggies and sauce and enjoy!

The story behind this recipe
My mom originally got this recipe from a swedish magazine when we lived in Malmö in the 80s. Ever since then it has been the dish of choice on special occasions. Its easy to make and just ridiculously delicious. My sisters and I always fought for the end pieces because it had the most dough. Which is obviously the best part of it!
Once I grew up and moved away and even learnt how to cook a little myself, I often called my mom for various recipes. This recipe though was always the most sought-after. Everytime I wanted to impress my friends, this is the dish I would make. Its the first dish that comes to mind when someone asks me about a "signature dish". It was also the obvious choice for me to share in this competition.