Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Pork Chops and Red Chard
Mum left us on Sunday and Lofty and I reverted back to our usual weekend schedule: Do as little as possible. I spent some time re-organising the kitchen cupboards, fridge and freezer in an attempt to create maximum choice in minimum space. I am always torn between trying to keep as few unnecessary things in the house and wanting to have a kitchen that is stocked well enough for me to be able to tackle any reci
pe without having to go shopping for staples. I suppose the whole thing comes down to the different definitions of a staple. What should you always have in your kitchen? Herbs and spices? Definitely. But do I really need three different kinds of salt? The same goes for grains and pulses. Lentils, rice and pasta are definitely important, but should I really keep 3 different kinds of lentils, 4 different varieties of rice (none of which is long grain), beans, chickpeas, polenta, spaghetti and South African samp (dried white corn)? One day my answer is yes, the next I am strongly against it. Oh well, at least I do use all of my part time staples so I do not end up with a kitchen cupboard like my mother's. Last year I found a jar of cranberry sauce there that had expired in 1989. I could hardly believe it. That stuff was made at a time when the Soviet Union was still a force in international politics. I wonder how many revolutions the current contents of that cupboard will outlast...One thing I knew for sure, though, was that the chard in my fridge would not last another day, so I had to find a way to use it up in our dinner. We had bought it the day before at the market because mum had never had chard before, but with all the fish we never got round to eating it. It went perfectly with tonight's dinner, though: Pork chops with mashed potatoes and mustard and onion gravy.
For the pork:
2 pork chops
2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the mashed potatoes:
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks (if you have time it is better to boil them with their skin on and peel them later, but I often start dinner too late)
a knob of butter
a few spoonfuls of milk
salt to taste
For the gravy:
20g butter
1 medium onion, halved and then sliced into rings
1 tbsp flour
75ml Masala wine (or Madeira, sweet sherry or port)
250ml chicken stock
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
salt and pepper to taste
For the chard:
2 large handfuls of red chard (alternatively Swiss chard, spinach, bok choi or most Asian greens)
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
Start by making the gravy. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the sliced onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Reduce the heat, cover and continue to cook until truly golden and soft, about 10 more minutes.
While the onions are cooking, bring the potatoes to the boil in enough salt water to just cover them. Cover and boil until soft, about 20 minutes. As I said above, if you have time you should boil the potatoes in their skin and peel them just before mashing. This reduces the amount of water in your mash. I generally peel the spuds before boiling though and simply put the saucepan back on the hob while I am mashing to make sure all the water evaporates. Just be careful not to burn the mash on the base of the pan.
When you put the potatoes on, heat the oil for the pork chops in a large shallow frying pan over medium heat. When it is truly hot, add the pork chops and fry without disturbing for at least two minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low, turn the chops over and brown the other side. This will obviously take a little longer on the lower heat, about 3 to 4 minutes. Continue to cook the chops without turning them too often until the outside is nicely sticky and caramelised and they are firm to the touch. Do not overcook them or they will go dry.
When the onions for the gravy are done, stir in the flour and continue to cook for another minute or two until it has lightly browned. Now pour in the liquids. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Worcester sauce. Bring to the boil and allow to bubble gently for about fifteen minutes. Finally, stir in the mustard and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Finish the mash by draining the potatoes and placing them back into the pan. Add the butter and season to taste, then mash until smooth adding a few drops of milk if needed.
A few minutes before you are ready to serve, bring some water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the chard and blanch until the stems are just tender but retain a bit of bite, about 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain well again and return to the pan. Add the butter and toss to coat the leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you are not serving a strongly flavoured gravy, chard tastes great if you toss it with some sweated onions and/or garlic or a bit of ginger or grated lemon zest.
Christine at 8:09 pm
