Pork Tenderloin Braised with Elderflower and Fennel

By BobD

"My mother and I go foraging for elderflowers for two days each May," says Trina Hahnemann. They pick enough flowers to make cordial to drink throughout the year and then use in dishes like this pork tenderloin quickly braised with fennel. Anyone not living near a Nordic meadow can substitute St-Germain elderflower cordial for the homemade kind.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 pork tenderloins (12 ounces each), sliced crosswise 1 1/2 inches thick and lightly pounded
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
• Salt
• 2 fennel bulbs—cored and thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1/2 cup elderflower cordial
• 5 thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 30mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Sprinkle the pork with the fennel seeds and peppercorns and season with salt. Add the pork to the skillet and cook over high heat, turning once, until lightly browned, 5 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the sliced fennel and onion; cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7 minutes. Add the wine, cordial and herbs and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 5 minutes.

Return the pork and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Cover and simmer over low heat until the pork is cooked through, 10 minutes. Discard the herbs and serve.