Ingredients

1 (7-pound) pork loin crown rib roast (about 12 ribs, 2 racks tied into a circular
crown)
Essence, recipe follows
1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Pinch cayenne
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups peeled and chopped Granny Smith apples
1 (8-ounce) package wild rice (1 1/3 cups)
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Season the roast with the Essence and place on a rack in a roasting pan, rib ends up. Wrap the tips of the
bones with foil and roast for 1 1/2 hours.

To make the stuffing, heat a large saute pan or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook,
stirring, until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and discard all but 1
tablespoon of fat from the pan.

Add the onions, celery, garlic and cayenne to the fat remaining in the pan and cook, stirring, until soft,
about 3 minutes. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add
the apples and rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the stock, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper, sage and
thyme and bring to a boil. Stir well, reduce the heat and cook undisturbed at a bare simmer until the rice is
tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 50 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let stand undisturbed for 10
minutes.

Discard the bay leaf and fluff the rice with a fork. Add the cooked sausage.

Remove the roast from the oven and fill the cavity with the stuffing. (If any stuffing is left over, place in
a lightly greased baking dish.)

Roast the stuffed pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F., about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter. Remove the aluminum foil and cover the bone ends with paper
frills. Let the roast stand for 10 to 15 minutes. Present tableside.

Spoon the stuffing into a serving bowl and carve the roast. Serve the stuffing on the side. Essence
(Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow,
1993.