As you are no doubt aware, May Day Weekend sees the 6th Tewkesbury Food Festival being held at The Vineyards.
As well as the fantastic array of activities, displays and stalls, we will be treated to famous chef, James Martin on the Sunday afternoon. This however is not the highlight as far as Tewkesbury locals are concerned.
This year Tewkesbury will be showcasing two of its very own Celebrity Chefs, both of whom are represented within two great local businesses which are also promoted on thebestof Tewkesbury.
Local chef Mat Gabb who will be joining us in the Cookery Theatre, demonstrating a great new menu devised especially for the Tewkesbury Food Festival Recipe Trail, using the very best ingredients that Tewkesbury has to offer.
Mat is the owner of My Great Grandfathers, a traditional English restaurant on Church Street, with a modern and exciting difference!
Mat has a wealth of experience in cooking spanning over 20 years, having gained his City & Guilds Chef qualifications at Gloscat Park Campus.
Since qualifying, Mat has worked at a number of prestigious venues including The Puckrup Hall Hotel, The Cheltenham Park Hotel, The Greenway Inn at Shurdington, The Colesbourne Inn near to Cheltenham, and The Well Restaurant in Cheltenham before opening My Great Grandfathers in 2004.
Mat is very excited at the prospect of sharing his recipe with the Food Festival audience, and will be at the festival at various times over the weekend so come along and get some great new recipe ideas to try for yourself at home - the menu and a shopping list will shortly be able to be obtained from this website, and all ingredients can be sourced in the local shops.
Additionally, My Great Grandfathers Restaurant will be offering a full service for the duration of the festival. Please follow this link to see his opening times.
Mat’s Recipe
TENDERLOIN OF PORK STUFFED WITH AN ONION MARMALADE
AND GLAZED WITH A STILTON CRUST ACCOMPANIED BY MINI TOFFEE APPLES
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN
2 WHOLE PORK TENDERLOIN
500 GRAMS STILTON CHEESE Grated
ONION MARMALADE OR ONION CONFIT
FOR THE STILTON CRUST
1 BUNCH FRESH ORGANIC FLAT LEAF PARSLEY
1 BUNCH FRESH TYME
1 BUNCH FRESH CHIVES
200 GRAMS STILTON CHEESE
2 CLOVES FRESH GARLIC
FOR THE CARMELISED TOFFEE APPLES
6 RED APPLES
250 GRAMS FRUCTOSE SUGAR
¼ PINT PERRY CIDER
FOR THE RED WINE REDUCTION SAUCE
RED WINE
BEEF STOCK - If No Time to make
TOMATO PUREE
BEEF BONES OR PORK BONES
2 CARROTS
I ONION
1 LEEK
1 CELERY
1 BULB GARLIC
Method
1. Trim pork tenderloin fillet removing any excess fat and silver connective tissue. This is to prevent curling of the meat and shrinkage when cooking.
2. When trimmed cut pork fillet into two equal halves allowing for the thicker head end of the meat in comparison to the thinner tail end of the fillet.
3. Place on a chopping board and cover with a sheet of cling film and batten out each half of the pork tenderloin into circular sheets. Try not to break or tear the meat as this will allow the filling to escape when cooking.
4. With the grated stilton cheese roll into small balls about the size of a ping pong ball and place into the centre of the battened out pork fillet.
5. Then top with onion marmalade allow for a good table spoon so the meat can marinade previous to cooking.
6. Fold all the corners of the pork fillet into the centre and wrap very tightly with cling film to create a ball. Try to mould any gaps or edges over each other to create a sealed surface with your stuffed pork fillet ball.
7. For best results Allow to rest in a fridge for at least two hours prior to cooking. This allows the pork ball to set and the fats of the marmalade and cheese to solidify. Please make sure the cling film is twisted very tightly to create a perfect sphere shape.
8. When set carefully place into a hot oven proof frying pan and seal all edges and place in an oven pre heated to about 200 degrees. For approx 20 mins until juices run clear.
9. While pork fillet is cooking prepare the stilton crust and Perry caramel
10. Place the fructose sugar in the copper saucepan or a thick bottom saucepan and cover with Perry cider boil until the sugar reaches the soft ball stage on the sugar thermometer. Set aside
11. For the stilton crust place a handful of the herbs in a food processor blender and chop until fine add two cloves of garlic and blitz together. Remove crust from bread and add to blender to form a green breadcrumb effect.
12. If breadcrumb looks wet and lumpy add more bread until the mixture looks smooth and loose.
13. Tip into a bowl and gently fold in remaining grated stilton into herb breadcrumb mixture
14. When pork fillet is cooked top with stilton breadcrumb mixture and place in oven until cheese has melted over the top and herb crust has began to glaze.
15. Meanwhile with the melon ball scoop cut out small apple balls and place into hot Carmel mixture and coat gently
16. Place tenderloin crusted pork into the centre of a plate on to a patch of red wine sauce and decorate the outside the plate with the mini toffee apples
17. Serve and enjoy
RED WINE SAUCE REDUCTION
1. Roast bones until browned and caramelised allow to cool
2. place into stock pot with root vegetables and tomato puree
3. cover with fresh cold water and bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for at least 8 hours
4. During the 8 hours constantly top up with fresh cold water as this makes the fat and impurities rise to the surface. The scum should be skimmed of as it rises to the surface.
5. When stock looks as it holds body and slightly thicker and darker in colour strain into a clean saucepan and discard the solids.
6. Add a bottle of red wine and reduce the stock by half
7. Strain through a fine sieve and remove any excess scum
8. Your red wine reduction sauce is ready to serve.
9. Enjoy!
This recipe is simple to cook. I know as I cooked it alongside Mat one evening last week in his Restaurant.
To find out more about Mat & My Great Grandfathers Restaurant, please follow this link
