Fennel Roasted Pork Rack

Step One: Preheat your oven to 230°C. Combine the salt, pepper and fennel in a mortar and pestle, grinding into a coarse powder. Rub the fennel salt all over the surface of the pork.
Step Two: Scatter the diced onion, carrot and celery in the base of a roasting dish before resting the pork on top.
Step Three: Bake at 230°C for 15 minutes before reducing the heat to 180°C and roasting for a further 45 minutes or until cooked. Remove pork from pan, cover with foil and allow to rest.
Step Four: Pour the juices from pan through a strainer into a jug and stand for 5 minutes before spooning off and discarding fat.
Step Five: Place the baking dish over moderate heat. Add the port, wine, stock, cinnamon quil and rosemary and simmer, scraping the dish to dislodge any baked on pork remnants from the bottom of the dish.
Step Six: Pour the skimmed cooking juices back into the pan along with any from the resting meat. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a saucepan, removing the vegetables, cinnamon and rosemary, before adding the figs. Simmer gently for 10 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Gradually whisk in the butter, a cube at a time melting between each addition. Keep warm while carving meat. Serve with your favourite roasted vegetables or greens.

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes (plus standing time)

Tip: Stand pork rack at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking, depending on the weather.