Alison says this one is a "keeper"

This meal happened because our local market had pork loin for $1.99/pound and because I wanted Alison to experience a sauce/gravy that is easy, elegant and requires zero flour. It cooked while I walked the dog and after dinner Alison voted enthusiastically for it to be included in this posting. She also wanted me to include a wine tip (very rare for us) - Trimbach Pinot Blanc goes really well with this meal.

There are no herbs or spices in this recipe but it depends instead on the richness of the brandy and the meat juices along with the sweetness of the apples and prunes to develop a delicious sauce. It goes really well with potatoes and below is a simple and pretty way of serving small potatoes called Hasselback. If you have never done Hasselback potatoes they are very rewarding and not that much work compared to the ‘Ooooh’ factor you experience when you serve them. The other nice thing is that you can easily coordinate the cooking of the potatoes with the pork roast. One more thing, this is a recipe, slightly modified, that my cooking guru Janie served me years ago. Janie's talent and kindness just keep going.

PORK ROAST WITH APPLES AND PRUNES

INGREDIENTS:
12 medium pitted prunes
2 tablespoons brandy (or one tiny airline bottle)
3-5 pound pork loin roast
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup white wine
½ cup heavy cream
1 tart apple, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch slices
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon dried onions
1 tablespoon red current or other red jelly (e.g. Pomegranate)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a small saucepan pour the brandy over the prunes. Bring to a boil. Set aside while you prepare the meat. Melt the butter with the oil in a Dutch oven or roasting pan with a lid. Brown the roast on all sides (about 5-8 minutes.) Remove the browned roast to a plate while you prepare the sauce in the browning pan. To the hot oil add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the cream and bring to a boil again. Add the apple, prunes and brandy, lemon juice, salt and pepper and dried onions and let simmer gently for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Return the roast to the pan, cover with a little of the sauce, cover the pan with the lid and put in the oven for 30 minutes (the internal temperature should reach about 130.) Remove the roast and transfer it to a lightly oiled Pyrex roasting pan and return to the oven uncovered. Cover the roasting juices and sauce in the Dutch oven and return that to the oven. Cook until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 170 + (about another 30 - 45 minutes depending on the weight of the roast.) When done set the roast aside to rest before carving. Return the Dutch oven to the stovetop. Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the red jelly. Stir with a whisk, gently blending and breaking up the prunes and apples. Adjust the salt to taste. Slice the roast and serve the meat and Hasselback potatoes with the sauce.

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HASSELBACK POTATOES

4-8 small potatoes, thin skin variety like red or Yukon gold, about 3 inches long by 1-1½ inches thick
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
pepper
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Wash and dry the potatoes. The classic way to slice the potatoes is by placing them one at a time in a large, deep wooden or metal spoon. You slice across the potato in the short dimension with slices about 1/8 inch apart, cutting into the potato but not through, so that the potato is still connected at its bottom. By using a spoon you can keep the depth consistent. I do not have a deep enough spoon so I have learned to eye ball it and if you cut carefully this works well too. At the end you will have these lovely little tight fan-like potatoes. Melt the butter and olive oil in a Pyrex baking pan. Place the cut potatoes carefully in the oil and roll each one once to cover. Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt and pepper over the potatoes and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in the same 350 oven. After 30 minutes remove the foil and return to the oven to bake and slightly brown. Check in another 30 minutes to verify that the potatoes are done. (You can see that if you put the potatoes in the oven at the same time as the roast you can coordinate the potato/roast checking nicely.) Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with the sauce from the pork roast.