Pork Loin Stuffed With Wild Mushrooms & Spinach, Thyme-Infused Au Jus

A Brief Taste of Westport & Fairfield County, CT

Settled in 1693 and incorporated in 1835, Westport grew up where the Saugatuck River meets Long Island Sound — a working harbor that, by the late 1800s, had quietly become a refuge for painters, writers, and Broadway names drawn to its tidal light. That same coastline still feeds the table: bluefish and porgy from local boats, oysters from Norm Bloom's Norwalk beds, sweet corn from Wakeman Town Farm. From Westport's downtown to Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, and Fairfield, the county has cultivated an unhurried, deeply discerning palate — equal parts saltwater, stone-walled farmland, and Sunday supper traditions carried forward by generations who simply expect the food to be honest, seasonal, and beautifully cooked.

The Recipe — Stuffed Pork Loin for Ten

Method

1. Build the duxelles. Warm 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Sweat 2 minced shallots and 4 garlic cloves until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 1.5 lb finely chopped wild mushrooms — cremini, shiitake, oyster, maitake — and cook patiently until the pan goes dry and the mushrooms turn deep mahogany, 12–15 minutes. Deglaze with ⅓ cup dry sherry; let it disappear.
2. Wilt & bind. Fold in 10 oz baby spinach in two handfuls, just until it relaxes. Off heat, stir in ¼ cup mascarpone, ½ cup panko, 2 tbsp fresh thyme, and 2 tbsp parsley. Season aggressively with salt and cracked pepper. Spread on a sheet tray to cool — warm filling will tear the loin.
3. Butterfly, stuff, tie. Butterfly the 4-lb pork loin to an even ½-inch thickness. Season inside and out. Spread the cooled filling edge-to-edge, leaving a ½-inch border. Roll tightly with the grain and tie with butcher's twine at one-inch intervals.
4. Sear. In a heavy roasting pan, sear in 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until every surface is burnished and crackling — listen for that steady, confident sizzle, about 8 minutes total.
5. Roast. Transfer to a 375°F oven. Roast 45–55 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 140°F in the center. Tent loosely with foil and rest a full 15 minutes — non-negotiable.
6. Thyme-infused au jus. Set the pan over two burners; deglaze with ½ cup white wine, scraping every fond. Add 3 cups veal or chicken stock, 6 thyme sprigs, and 1 tbsp Dijon. Reduce by half until it coats the back of a spoon. Strain, taste, season.
7. Slice & serve. Snip the twine. Slice into ¾-inch medallions revealing the dark-green and mahogany spiral. Fan three across each warm plate; spoon the glossy jus around the perimeter, never over the crust.

Mise en Place — Stations, Tools & Plating

Station & Tools: 12-inch carbon-steel sauté pan for the duxelles, heavy-bottom roasting pan with rack, sharp 10-inch chef's knife, boning knife for butterflying, butcher's twine, instant-read thermometer, fine-mesh chinois, microplane, sheet tray and offset spatula for cooling the filling.

Plating: Warmed cream-rim porcelain dinner plates, three medallions fanned at the four-o'clock position, a quenelle of whipped potato or celeriac purée, and the thyme jus spooned in a soft arc.

Silverware & Garnish: Polished steak knives, weighted dinner forks, micro-thyme leaves, a single fried sage leaf, and Maldon flakes finished tableside.

Frequently Asked — Hiring a Private Chef in Fairfield County

Styles of Service & the Role of a Designated Server

Why a server matters: A designated host pours, clears, paces wine and water, and reads the table — the small choreography that turns a dinner into an evening, and lets you stay seated with your guests.