Porch girl, northern, had recalled (8)
I believe the answer is:
verandah
'porch' is the definition.
(verandah is a kind of porch)
'girl northern had recalled' is the wordplay.
'girl' becomes 'vera' (**).
'northern' becomes 'n' (abbreviation e.g. N. Ireland).
'recalled' says the letters should be written backwards.
'had' backwards is 'dah'.
'vera'+'n'+'dah'='VERANDAH'
(Other definitions for verandah that I've seen before include "gallery" , "Roofed platform adjoining a house" , "16 21 [INDIAN IMPORT]" , "Roofed area on the side of a house" , "Porch" .)