WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Be transported to Provence with this dinner that’s low on fuss but high on flavor. Plenty of sweet, herbal fennel, supplemented with artichokes, olives, and cherry tomatoes, serves as the bed for pork tenderloin. The mild flavor of the pork lends itself well to bold seasonings, so we used a dry rub here, which added both flavor and color to our tenderloins without having to brown them before roasting. Herbes de Provence lent a distinct flavor profile; a little of this spice goes a long way, so just 2 teaspoons were sufficient. After jump-starting the fennel in the microwave, we cooked the tenderloins on top of the bed of vegetables in a roasting pan. While we prefer the flavor and texture of jarred whole baby artichoke hearts in this recipe, you can substitute 12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry, for the jarred. To ensure that the tenderloins don’t curl during cooking, remove the silver skin from the meat.
Serves: 4
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 large fennel bulbs, stalks discarded, bulbs halved, cored, and sliced ½ inch thick
- 2 cups jarred whole baby artichokes packed in water, quartered, rinsed, and patted dry
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 (12-to 16-ounce) pork tenderloins, trimmed
- 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Microwave fennel and 2 tablespoons water in covered bowl until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain fennel, then toss with artichokes, olives, and oil.
- Pat tenderloins dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence and season with salt and pepper. Spread fennel mixture evenly in large roasting pan, then place tenderloins over top. Roast until pork registers 145 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes, turning tenderloins over halfway through roasting.
- Remove roasting pan from oven and transfer tenderloins to carving board. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir tomatoes and lemon zest into fennel mixture in pan and return to oven.
Roast until fennel is tender and tomatoes have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice pork ½ inch thick and serve with vegetables.
