Roast Pork with Pistachios and Dried Apricots

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons pistachio nuts (90 g), toasted and skinned
• One 2-pound (1-kg) boneless pork loin
• 4 ounces (110 g) dried apricots, diced
• 2 tablespoons floral honey, such as lavender
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
• Fine sea salt
• Coarsely ground pepper, preferably a blend of white, green, and black
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds (1 kg) red or white onions, cut into eighths
• 3½ cups (875 ml) full-bodied dry white wine
• 2 fresh bay leaves from the Laurus nobilis or dried imported bay leaves
• Fresh herbs sprigs, such as sage, chervil, or rosemary, for garnish

Note: Try to find pork that has been raised with care, from a small, preferably organic farm.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Coarsely chop all but 2 tablespoons of the pistachio nuts. Reserve the chopped pistachios. Using a small knife, poke as many shallow (½-inch/1.25-cm) holes in the pork roast as you have whole pistachios and insert the whole pistachios into the holes.
3. In a small bowl, combine the chopped pistachios, apricots, and honey until thoroughly combined. Add the cardamom, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and several grinds of pepper and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
4. Place the pork loin on a work surface. Press it out or unroll it so that it is flat on the cutting board. If it is very thick in one part, slice partway into that area and fold it out to make the piece of pork an even thickness. What you are looking for is a relatively even, flat piece of pork. Spread the filling over the meat, going to within about 1½ inches (4 cm) of the edges. Roll up the pork as you would roll a flat cake for a jelly roll, as tightly as you can, and tie it together using kitchen twine. You may need to use skewers as well to keep it in one piece.
5. Place the loin in a roasting pan. Rub it all over with the olive oil. Place the onions around the pork. Pour 2 cups (500 ml) of the wine over and around the pork, place the bay leaves in the wine, season the pork lightly with salt, and roast it in the center of the oven until it is golden on the outside and cooked through (140°F/62°C), about 1¼ hours. Check the loin occasionally as it roasts, and add the remaining wine as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan very moist and prevent the onions from sticking and burning (use water if you run out of wine).
6. Remove the pork loin from the oven and transfer the pork to a cutting board with a trough to trap any juices that run from it. Let the pork loin sit for at least 20 minutes before slicing it, so the juices retreat back into the meat.
7. Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and continue cooking until the cooking juices have reduced to about ½ cup (125 ml) and the onions are very tender through, almost like a marmalade, about 10 minutes. While the juices are reducing, add any juices that drain from.