Scandinavian Pork & Apple Tray Bake

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7

Dice the potatoes (skins on) 

Add the diced potatoes to one side of a baking tray, drizzle them with olive oil and season them generously with salt

Put the tray in the oven for 30 min or until the potatoes are cooked through and crispy

Meanwhile, drain the cooked beetroot and pat it dry with kitchen paper

Dice the cooked beetroot 

Remove the baking tray from the oven and add the chopped beetroot to the other side of the tray

Drizzle the beetroot with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt 

Return the tray to the oven for the remaining cooking time 

Meanwhile, grate the apple[s] (skins on)

Add the fennel seeds to a pestle and mortar and grind them to a powder

Combine the pork mince, ground fennel seeds, grated apple, panko breadcrumbs and a generous pinch of salt in a large bowl and give everything a good mix up

Divide the pork mixture into 8 [16] and shape into meatballs - these are your apple & fennel meatballs

Remove the potato and beetroot tray from the oven and add the apple & fennel meatballs to the potatoes

Return the tray to the oven and cook for the remaining cooking time (approx. a further 20 min) or until the meatballs are browned and cooked through 

Meanwhile, peel the cucumber 

Cut the peeled cucumber in half and scrape out the watery inner seeds with a teaspoon and throw them away

Slice the peeled cucumber halves finely

Pick the fine dill tops from the stalks and set them aside for garnish

Chop the dill stalks finely

Combine the white wine vinegar with 1 tsp [2 tsp] sugar in a small bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved

Add the sliced cucumber, chopped dill stalks, yellow mustard seeds and a pinch of both salt and pepper and give everything a good old mix up - this is your pickled cucumber salad