Eyeballs! That’s what lychees always remind me of! So when this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe rolled around, I knew I wouldn’t include them in the dish. Apart from the texture issue, I just don’t like the taste of them either – too perfume-y. I do, however, like pork and fruit so I figured I’d do pretty much the same recipe as the selection, just sans lychees….
I ended up using a pork tenderloin that I butterflied and tenderized, then filled with the sauce that I had cooked down to a chutney-like consistency (sans lychees!). It came out pretty well though it was definitely better when it was just out of the oven and rested. By the time we got to eating it later in the day, it was a little dry but I doused it in a little more sauce and it was great! Here’s a cross-section:
Overall, I was pretty happy with this – my first time butterflying a pork tenderloin and a bit of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants recipe riff but it all turned out well. We just served this with a little rice and it was a perfect chilly spring evening supper.
Get Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for pork roast with mangoes and lychees here or on page 278 of Around my French Table.
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Yum! Love your stuffed pork version. I enjoyed this dish, eyeballs and all.
Ha! Glad you enjoyed!
Eyeballs… thanks I will keep that image. Maybe this has become a Halloween dish?
A stuffed version is a great idea.
Awesome idea for Hallowe’en!
I found this a great “Spring” dish. I didn’t even miss the eyeballs. 😉
With lychee I probably would have reached for a Gewurztraminer. Instead, I went for a nice crisp rose from Ravine Estates in St. David’s, Ontario. I’m a huge rose fan, and this one had just enough fruit to work well with the park, but was at the same time nice and crisp. Generally, I find rose a nice pork match, unless it’s powerfully spiced.
No eyeballs for you!
It looks so pretty rolled up in the pork. Nice job!
Thanks!
I do like lychees, usually in cocktail form, but found that they didn’t do much for me in this dish and would probably skip them next time.
I’d agree – not sure they would add much!
The roulade was a nice touch and I considered it when I saw your Instagram…or was it FB? Nonetheless, when I went to make it it was a big chaotic and I know that this would have shrank the cooking time window so I opted not to. That said, the gloppy, chunky sauce was just perfect. Looks beautiful Marti! I wonder what wine goes with leeches though?
LOL! Eyeballs. leeches, it’s all the same!
I tried to butterfly some cut of lamb a few Easters ago and it stressed me out because I didn’t know what I was doing, and then I had this huge slab of meat that I was somehow supposed to roll into a neat roulade with stuffing. Hah! Easier said than done….
Lychees kinda do look like eyeballs, lol!
It was not super easy but easier than I expected…
I love the look of your roulade. Tres elegante! Maybe you can make this with lychees (eyeballs) for Halloween!
Haha!
Love your take on this recipe! The roulade looks like it turned out perfectly. 🙂
Thanks!
What a beautiful meal! I did make this pretty much as written, since I was able to find a small roast – but didn’t get to the right market for the lychees. I would definitely make again, probably with a bit different seasonings. But love your idea of the roulade! Very pretty, and the photos look fabulous with the pork in the sauce.
The roulade was a fun presentation!
Our very first trip to France back in the 90’s with Tricia, we traveled thru the wine route in Alsace
where my mother came from. That was our first introduction to Gewürztraminer. I am happy to see someone else knows of this delicious wine. Your pork looks fantastic, we loved the sauce.
We often drink Gewürztraminer (Mr Neil is a fan!)..
Now, Mardi, your roulade is impressive, very nice. The pork looks perfectly pink and cooked to perfection. No matter what, pork is “touchy” and if it’s not covered in sauce, I think it gets dry. Mine “swam” in sauce and was delicious, when heated, the next day. I hope you and Neil shared this with company because it’s certainly guest-worthy.
Nope, just us!
Oh Mardi – it turned out beautiful !!! And delicious of course. I am also so happy that YOU wrote about the eyeball thing. That is exactly what I proclaimed to my husband- esp as those little guys came out of the can. Once cooked they simply looked unattractive 🙂 Gorgeous job.
See – secretly we all think they are like eyeballs!
Beautiful version of Dorie’s Pork Roast! It looks moist and delicious. Nicely done!
I have always thought that lychees looked like eyeballs….glad I was not alone. Happy Weekend!
LOL re: eyeballs!
Thanks for all the info on lychees. I don’t think I have had one and it sounds like I am not missing anything. I have not tried a stuffed tenderloin yet but you give me confidence that I can do it.
It’s actually not that hard….
ahh super! I love lychees but I grew up with the flavor of them and while I’m not crazy about the texture of the fruit, I still love them. I wish I could have found some to put in the sauce, but that just means I’ll get to make this again! Loved your first picture today!
Thanks Alice!