Pork Chops with a Gooseberry, Honey and Walnut Sauce
What to do when you have a handful of tart gooseberries and a few pork chops. Inspired by something which I saw on Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers. A marriage of sweet and sour. I took it a bit further and added acacia honey, marjoram, a generous slug of French Calvados and a handful of toasted walnuts. In short, what I had to hand. Delicious.
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Ingredients
- 2 thick pork chops
- A large handful or two of ripe gooseberries - red or green (topped and tailed)
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A few springs of fresh Marjoram (or dried if that's all you have)
- Two dessert-spoons of Acacia Honey
- A small handful of toasted English Walnuts
- A knob of butter
Details
servings 2
Level of difficulty Average
Cooking time 15mins
Cost Average budget
Preparation
Step 1
Take your pork chops and using some kitchen scissors, cut into the fatty edge at 1/2 inch intervals all along the edge. This helps to keep them from curling up. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 2
Melt the butter in a skillet, just large enough to hold the two pork chops snugly, over medium high heat. Once it begins to foam and sputter add the chops.
Step 3
Brown nicely on the one side and then flip them over and brown on the other side. You will want them to be pale golden brown.
Step 4
Add a generous slug of French Calvados and tip in the gooseberries, letting them fall as they may.
Step 5
Spoon a dessert-spoon full of honey over each chop and sprinkle with some marjoram leaves and a few toasted walnuts.
Step 6
Cover and cook for about fifteen minutes, just until the pork is cooked through and the berries have collapsed somewhat and created a lovely sauce, which is at once tart, sweet, boozy and herbed.
Step 7
Serve immediately with some roasted vegetables or mash. Delicious.
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