The Basics

• Use three parts dill seed to one part fennel seed for a classic preparation. Add about a teaspoon of lemon pepper, less than a teaspoon of oregano, onion powder and garlic powder, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Substitute ground dill and fennel seed for whole seeds in the same proportions. Mix thoroughly and rub the seasoning all over a boneless pork roast. For a variation on the traditional recipe, add sage, crushed red pepper flakes, juniper berries or rosemary.

A Variation

• For a more elegant dish, butterfly the roast by slicing it partway through and spreading it open like a book. Substitute minced garlic for the garlic powder, and leave out the onion powder, lemon pepper and oregano. Mix the seasonings with a few tablespoons of olive oil and spread it all over the roast. Chop a fennel bulb and spread it over the cut side of the pork. Close the roast and tie it with food-grade string. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature, tested at the thickest part of the meat, reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit.