pork chops ardennaise

Serves 4

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking time 45 minutes

4 pork loin chops, 200 g (7 oz) each

25 g (1 oz) butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

100 g (3½ oz) button mushrooms, halved

100 g (3½ oz) diced pancetta

12 shallots, peeled and left whole

300 ml (½ pint) dry white wine

1 tablespoon cornflour

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon French mustard

150 ml (¼ pint) single cream

salt and pepper

chopped parsley, to garnish

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Melt the butter with the oil in a frying pan on the hob and fry the chops on both sides to brown. Transfer to a casserole dish. Add the mushrooms, pancetta and shallots to the same frying pan and fry gently, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add to the casserole.

Pour the wine into the pan and bring to the boil, letting it bubble for a minute and scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Tip into the casserole and cover with foil. Place on the lower rack of the halogen oven.

Set the temperature to 200°C (392°F) and cook for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, blend the cornflour with the measurement water. Remove the chops from the casserole and add the cornflour paste, mustard and cream to the liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and return the pork to the dish. Cover and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley.

For pork chops with cider & prunes, cook the pork as above, replacing the mushrooms with 1 chopped fennel bulb and the wine with 300 ml (½ pint) cider. Stir in 8 sliced sage leaves. Add the cornflour paste, mustard and cream as above, stirring in 75 g (3 oz) halved pitted prunes.