- 300g/10½oz pork fillet (tenderloin)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 50g/2oz butter
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 eating apple, peeled and finely chopped
- 100g/3½oz Puy lentils, freshly cooked
- 150ml/5fl oz farmhouse cider
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp flatleaf parsley
- 25g/1oz butter
- 200g/7oz creamy, well-seasoned mashed potato, to serve
- Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas 6.
- To make the herb crust, mix together the herbs, garlic, olive oil and honey. Roll the pork fillet in the mixture to coat well.
- Heat a pan until it's red-hot. Add the herb-crusted pork and sear for one minute on each side. Transfer to the oven and cook for a further ten minutes. Remove the pork and leave to rest for at least five minutes before serving.
- In a clean pan, heat the butter until it foams. Add the onion and apple and cook them together for two minutes. Add the lentils and cider, and give them a few seconds of cooking time before you add the honey and mustard. Let the lentils warm for 2-3 minutes, then season and add the parsley. The idea is to leave enough 'cidery' liquid in the lentils to provide a sauce.
- At the last minute, stir in the butter to thicken the sauce.
- Carve the pork into 1cm (0.5in) thick chunks. Lay the pork slices onto the mash and spoon the lentils and liquor all around.