One of the things I like most about having a dedicated local grocer like John at The Orange Grove is his habit of making sure there’s something seasonal and special on display out front. Whether it’s heritage baby carrots in Autumn, the freshest purple sprouting, plump damsons or new seasons wet garlic there is always something to spark your culinary imagination.

This last couple of weeks the box of the moment is rustling with delicious Kentish cobnuts. I’m pretty sure I’m safe in saying this is another product John buys in that you definitely won’t find on the shelves of your supermarket and as far as I’m concerned they are treasure.

Such a versatile ingredient you can turn them to savoury or sweet dishes and for my first bag of the season I decided to keep it simple, toasting them in the buttery pan whilst a pork tenderloin rests on the chopping board until they crackle and pop like rice krispies.

Ingredients serves 2-3

• 1 Pork tenderloin, trimmed of silverskin and pounded into inch thick mediallions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• zest of 1 lemon
• 100 mls white wine
• splash of water
• 12 sage leaves
• 24 shelled cobnuts
• extra virgin olive oil
• large knob of butter
• sea salt
• fresh black pepper

1. Once you have made your medallions of pork, leave them covered on the kitchen side for at least an hour to temper.
2. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high flame and add the oil and butter. Once melted and sizzling, season the pork with salt, lemon zest and pepper before adding to the pan with the sage and garlic.
3. Cook for four minutes before turning and cooking for another 4. Remove from the pan and loosely cover with foil. I leave good quality pork fillet ever so slightly pink in the middle but cook longer if you prefer. Rest for 8 minutes.
4. While the pork is resting toast the cobnuts until they pop and crackle in the pan. Set aside.
5. Now deglaze the pan with white wine and water until you have a rich brown sauce and the smell of raw alcohol has burned off.
6. Slice the pork and serve with the nuts and crispy sage leaves. Spoon a little sauce onto each plate and enjoy.