Belle Isle School of Cookery
Lisbellaw
Enniskillen
County Fermanagh
Northern Ireland
BT94 5HG

Tel: +44 (0)28 6638 7231
Fax: +44 (0)28 6638 7261

info@irish-cookery-school.com

www.irishcookeryschool.com

Poached loin of bacon stuffed with nettles

Serves 5-6

Ingredients

1 kg/2 ½ lb. bacon loin, trimmed but untied
6-8 slices of pancetta/parma ham or streaky bacon
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 long, young nettle stalks with leaves
Black pepper

For the sauce:
25g/1 oz plain flour
25g/1 oz butter
Bacon water
½ chicken stock cube
1 tbsp. dry sherry or white wine
2 bay leaves
90ml/3 floz double cream
Lots of fresh parsley chopped (at least 2 tbsp.)
Salt and pepper

Method

• Bring a pot of water to the boil and wearing rubber gloves, slide your hands down the nettle stalks to remove the leaves. Blanch the leaves in the water for 1-2 minutes. Plunge into cold water and wring out as much as possible to remove any excess water. Chop up roughly.
• Open out the bacon loin and slice through the middle to open it further, but do not cut right through to the other side. Brush with the Dijon mustard.
• Season the inside with plenty of pepper. Sprinkle the nettles inside. Roll the loin as tightly as you can and wrap with the parma ham. Place the wrapped loin on a piece of cling film and roll up very tightly. Chill for one hour.
• Bring back to room temperature for 20 minutes. Bring a large, deep pot of water to the boil. Place the rolled loin in the water in its cling-film wrapping. Poach for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove from the water and allow the meat to rest inside the cling film.
• To make the sauce, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Add the bacon water little by little, whisking all the time until you end up with a sauce that will coat the back of a wooden spoon. Add the stock cube, bay leaves and sherry or wine. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the cream and stir in the parsley.