Apologies for the hiatus for the past couple of months, we’ve been rather busy working on some other projects chez Season’s Eatings. Amidst this, we did get of course get the new Nigella Lawson cook book, At My Table, as soon as it was launched. We’ve been thumbing through and trying out recipes. The casserole recipe for pork with prunes, olives and capers is a recent success.
For an Autumnal recipe, using store cupboard ingredients (rather than the usual foray of seasonal produce showcased by Season’s Eatings), this recipe for pork with prunes, olives and capers is surprisingly easy to prepare, and tastes phenomenal. The meat needs to be marinaded about 24 hours ahead of when you want to cook, so does take some planning. However This step does include about 90% of the effort, not that there is very much, meaning on the day of cooking there is nothing to get hot and bothered about whilst entertaining diners.
We found this recipe comfortably serves 4 people. We served it with another of Nigella’s recipes for Bulgar Wheat with flaked almonds, but any couscous or rice of sufficient proportions would be equally suitable.
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes (1 day ahead of cooking)
Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 1.5kg pork shoulder – diced into pieces
- 375ml dry white wine
- 200g pitted prunes
- 75g pitted black olives
- 100g capers
- 4 tbsp dried oregano
- 2½ tsp sea salt flakes
- freshly ground black pepper
- 250ml chicken stock
Recipe:
- In either a large freezer or a baking dish add the diced pork, wine, prunes, olives, capers (and the juice they came in), dried oregano, salt and pepper. Seal the bag (or wrap the baking dish in cling film), then marinade overnight in the fridge.
- Before cooking it, take out of the fridge a couple of hours before it goes in the oven, so can come to room temperature throughout. Pre-heat the oven to 150ºC fan.
- Put the marinated pork into a large casserole dish with the chicken stock. Stir together, put the lid on cook in the oven for 2 hours. And that’s it.
- The pork should be soft and tender. Sprinkle with fresh oregano (or parsley, as we did) and serve with your choice of carbs.
Season's Eatings 
[…] PORK WITH PRUNES, OLIVES AND CAPERS (adapted from Nigella Lawson) […]
Personally found the pork to be a bit tough after just two hours. So left it in a low oven overnight. The results were alchemical – meat so tender that it needed only the tongue against the roof of your mouth to succumb. The flavors and the juices also combined into a velvet-silky sauce. Now on my list of winter warmers for certain.