Stuffed pork rolls out taste

It’s always fun to set something a bit out of the ordinary on the table for dinner, whether it’s for guests or whether it’s a family meal.

This rolled, stuffed pork dish would make an appetizing, eye-catching centerpiece — and it would make any meal special. It has a touch of Middle Eastern flavor, a hint of Asian influence, layering textures and tastes in a decorative presentation that belies its looks; it’s not complicated to make.

The sweet and savory forbidden-rice stuffing includes two long-prized foods that are now recognized as gratifyingly nutritious, too — tangy dried apricots and crunchy walnuts.

Don’t be daunted by the listing of “forbidden rice” among ingredients. This is a medium-sized variety of Chinese black rice, prized for nutty taste, soft texture and deep color, available nationally in many markets or online. If you can’t find it or don’t want to use it, regular white rice is a quite acceptable substitute.

Stuffed pork loin with forbidden rice, apricot and walnut stuffing

The preparation time is 30 minutes, and the cooking time is about 1 hour, 25 minutes, or until internal temperature is 160 degrees.

1 cup forbidden rice (or white rice)

13/4 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup finely chopped white onion

1 cup (4 ounces) chopped toasted walnuts

Coarse salt, to taste

Ground white (or black) pepper, to taste

1 cup (about 5 ounces) chopped dried apricots

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

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