This is a delightful dish to feast one’s eyes upon and even nicer to eat. A little extra honey will give a gentler finish, while a dash more balsamic vinegar will sharpen the flavours. Potatoes fried with rosemary and garlic and some creamed spinach make excellent accompaniments.
preparation time 20 minutes
cooking time about 45 minutes
serves 6
Ingredients
50 g (2 oz) butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 pork chops
1 tablespoon paprika
175 g (6 oz) red onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the confit
4 pomegranates
3 tablespoons runny honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
150 ml (5 fl oz) dry white wine
150 ml (5 fl oz) chicken stock
125 g (4 oz) unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4.
2 Heat the hutter and vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Dust the pork chops on both sides with the paprika, season with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook for about 4–5 minutes on each side, until well browned, then remove from the pan and place in a casserole dish.
3 Add the sliced onions, garlic and oregano to the frying pan and cook gently until soft. Place them on top of the chops, then transfer to the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, until the chops are cooked through.
4 To make the confit, halve the pomegranates and scoop out the seeds, leaving behind the bitter membranes. Pour off surplus fat from the frying pan, add the pomegranate seeds, honey and balsamic vinegar and simmer for 4–5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and boil until reduced in volume by a third. Add the stock and bring to the boil.
5 Draw the pan off the heat and whisk the unsalted butter into the sauce a few pieces at a time. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the chops.
A much underused fruit, the pomegranate grows throughout the Mediterranean and as far east as India. Providing you discard the bitter membranes, it is versatile enough to use in all forms of cooking.