This pork rack in a mandarin marinade is roasted with baby potatoes, young carrots and whole mandarins. The pork and the sweetness of the fruit make this easy-to-make dish a winter favorite!

Marinate the rack: On the meat side of the rack, make some 3/4 inch deep cross cuts with a sharp knife. Place the meat in a non-reactive roasting pan. Season both sides of rack with salt and pepper for a few minutes before cooking. Add on each side of the rack: 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and the juice from 1 mandarin. Make 4 incisions along each side of the rack and insert the split garlic clove. Wrap with cling wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Prepare the mandarins: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water, whisk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Peel the 6 remaining mandarins, making sure to keep them whole. Poach the mandarins in simmering syrup for 4 minutes, them remove with a skimmer and let the fruit cool.

Bake the rack: Place the rack meat side up, and bake at 350° F for about 30 minutes on each side. Take the time to baste the rack every 15 minutes. Pour the mandarin syrup on top of the meat when the roasting pan starts to dry up. Wash and peel the carrots, leaving one inch of the stem. Place the carrots in a saucepan with the baby potatoes cut in two or three pieces, depending on their size. Cover with cold water, add salt and pepper, and boil for 15 minutes. The potatoes should be firm in the center. Drain and refresh under cold water, and reserve.

Add the vegetables and mandarins: After one hour of cooking, add the blanched vegetables under the meat in the roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes; keep basting occasionally. Add the blanched whole mandarins around the meat, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meat is totally cooked. To know when the pork rack is cooked, use a food temperature thermometer. The internal temperature of a whole pork rack must reach 175° F at the center of the meat.

Serve: When the meat is done, serve the vegetables around the rack on a large platter, baste the meat and garnish with the cooking juice. Add some rosemary sprigs for decoration and serve hot.