The second of the many ways I love thee- Porky worky!

Who said that a creamy Peppercorn Sauce should be confined to a nice piece of Steak? Here, in the second part of my paean to all things Porky, let’s explore the Peppery possibilities on Pork Chops.

Pork Chops au Poivre: Serves Two for about $9

2 frenched pork chops ( about 1″ thick) seasoned with salt on both sides

2 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed with a rolling pin

1/2 cup cream sherry

2/3 cup heavy cream

Heat a heavy skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil, gently cook the chops until just cooked though and both sides are brown. Remove to a dish and keep warm. Add the peppercorns to the skillet with the sherry, bring to the boil and reduce  to about half, scraping up any brown bits. Add the cream and any meat juices that have accumulated on the bottom of the dish, bring to the boil, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the chops with the sauce spooned over.

How do I love thee Porky Pig? Let me count the ways!

One thing Anthony Bourdain and I have in common is no reservations whatsoever about all things porcine. This Christmas I’m scouring LA for that rare delicacy Jamon Iberico, (the ne plus ultra of Porkdom) but this impossibly expensive luxury does not belong on the pages of this Blog. Fortunately there are many piggy recipes that do and for the next couple of nights I’m going to treat you to a couple of my favourite ones. For starters we have Sauteed Pork Chops with Sage Cider Cream Sauce, another shot in the long-running campaign to wean my condiment-obsessed husband off his jars of Apple Sauce.

Sauteed Pork Chops with Sage Cider Cream Sauce: Serves Three for about $13

3 1″ frenched pork chop

1 medium onion, finely diced

6 tbsp cider vinegar

1 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tbsp finely chopped sage

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley

Heat a heavy skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil, not smoking but hot, brown the chops on both sides, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Pour off any excess oil, leaving 1 tablespoon and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, stirring occasionally until soft and golden brown. Add the vinegar, boil until the liquid is evaporated. Return the chops along with any juices accumulated on the plate, then add the water, cream and the sage, simmer with the lid on until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 150ºf. Transfer to a plate and simmer the sauce uncovered until the liquid is reduced to about a 1/3 cup and the sauce is slightly thick, stir in the parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over the chops.

An Indian Winter #2

As poor England still struggles to get to work in “the wrong kind of snow”  here’s the second of a couple of my favourite Indian Winter Warmers- Indian Fish Stew.

Indian Fish Stew: Serves Four for about $13

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 red red chillies (jalapeno), finely chopped (seeded if you want)

2 bay leaves

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp chilli powder

1 can diced tomatoes

4 cod fillets

1 pint fish stock or 1 bottle of clam juice and make up the rest in water

Heat a deep sided heavy-based fry pan with 2 tablespoon of oil, add the cumin seeds, cook until they start to splatter. Add the onions, pepper, garlic, chillies and bay leaves, cook until the onions start to brown. Add the ground cumin, coriander and chilli powders, stir to combine. Add the tomatoes and the stock, bring to the boil, the simmer for ten minutes. Add the fish, then cover and simmer for another ten minutes.

An Indian Winter #1

As poor England struggles to get to work in “the wrong kind of snow” (for those of you on this side of the Atlantic  this is the English Public Transport  equivalent of “the dog ate my homework”), I think back to living in London and one of my favourite things back there- marvellous Indian food. There’s nothing more warming than a really good curry, preferably served with a healthy pile of delicious nan bread to mop up all those juices. So in celebration of the English cold snap here’s the first of a couple of my favourite Indian Winter Warmers- Chicken Sag.

Chicken Sag: Serves Four for about $12

8oz fresh spinach leaves, washed but not dried

1 ” ginger, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 green chili, roughly chopped

1 cup water

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp black peppercorns

1 onion, finely chopped

4 tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

3 tbsp low fat yogurt

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Cook the spinach in a covered saucepan without water for 5 minutes. Put the spinach, garlic, ginger, green chili with 1/4 cup of water in a food processor and process into a thick puree, set aside. Heat a heavy base saucepan with 2 tablespoons of oil, add the bay leaves and the peppercorns, fry for 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook until golden, then add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes, stir in the curry powder, chili powder and salt for another 2 minutes. Next add the spinach puree and simmer for 5 minutes. stir in the yogurt, then add the chicken, cover and cook gently for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Thanksgiving over-indulgence antidote #2

Here’s the second of two glorious fish dishes to help your body recover from Holiday excesses (and to make it less painful this one even has a little bit of alcohol built into it- think of it as a culinary “hair of the dog”).

Alaskan Cod with Vermouth Sauce: Serves Two for about $10

2 Alaskan cod fillets

flour for dusting

1/2 cup dry vermouth

1 large shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 cornichons, minced (tiny brined pickles)

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Zest of 1 lime

2 tbsp lime  juice

Heat a nonstick fry pan with 2 tablespoons of oil. Season the fillets with salt and pepper, dust with the flour. Cook the fish in pan until golden brown, then turn and do the same on the other side; (if the fillets are thick cook on a medium heat until done). Remove to a dish and keep warm, add a little more oil and add the shallot and garlic, cook until the garlic starts to color. Add the vermouth off the heat, then return, add the cornichons, mustard, zest and juice, cook until thickened, add any juice from the fish and most of the parsley . Cook for another minute then turn off the heat. Plate the fish, spoon the sauce over the top and finish with a sprinkle of  parsley.

Thanksgiving over-indulgence antidote #1

Recovering from the excesses of Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be painful. Here’s the first of two delightful Fish recipes that will put you and your body back on the right track….

Ling Cod with Celery, Lemon and Caper Sauce: Serves Two for about $10

2 ling cod filets

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1 tbsp small capers

6 tbsp cold  butter, diced

1 tbsp chopped chives

flour for dusting

Heat a fry pan large  enough to hold the 2 filets of fish with 2 tablespoon of oil, season the fish with salt and pepper, then dust with the flour. Place the fish in the fry pan, cook until golden brown, then turn over and do the same, remove and keep warm. Add the lemon juice, celery and capers, scrapping up any bit on the bottom of the pan; if it starts to reduce too much, add a little water. Whisk in the butter slowly, piece by piece, you should have in the end a slightly thickened sauce ( an emulsion). To finish, add the chives and adjust the seasoning. To serve, plate the fish and spoon the sauce over.

More than a Warm Salad, a Salad that Warms

Generally speaking for me eating Salads after the end of October is a little like wearing white after Labour Day- it’s simply not done. So I’m always on the lookout for a Salad that delivers the kind of warmth and comfort that I want on a cold autumn or winter’s evening. This particular salad combines not just one but three of my favourite comfort food ingredients- Haloumi Cheese, Bacon and Butternut Squash.

Warm Spinach Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Bacon and Haloumi Cheese: Serves Two for about $9

1/2 pkt baby spinach leaves

1 lb butternut squash, cut into bite size pieces

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

E V olive oil

balsamic vinegar

1 block Haloumi cheese, sliced

4 rashes of bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces

Mix the squash some olive oil, then sprinkle with the spices and 1 teaspoon of salt, mix together, making sure to thoroughly coat all the squash pieces. Bake in a 350ºf oven until done, firm to the bite. While the squash is baking, fry the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towel. Fry the haloumi in a nonstick pan, until both sides are brown. To assemble the salad, put the spinach leaves in a large bowl, add the bacon and the squash from the oven, drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over and gently toss to combine. Pile on plates with the haloumi on top.

Sherry Baby!

With a Royal Wedding on the horizon, Britons everywhere finally have something fluffy to take their minds off the nasty austerity measures being imposed by the government. So it seems wholly appropriate that we should enjoy a recipe made with Sherry, that favourite tipple of the aged British Upper crust.

Pork Chops with Onions in Sherry Vinegar: Serves Two for about $8

2 frenched pork chops

1 medium onion, halved and sliced

1 tsp sugar

1/4 cup sherry vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat a fry pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the pork chops. Cook until just cooked through and both sides are nicely browned. Transfer to a dish and keep warm. In the same pan add a little more oil, add the onions and gently cook with a pinch of salt. Make sure to scrape up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan, add the sugar and gently cook for 5 minutes, then add the vinegar. Reduce slightly, taste and adjust the tartness of the sauce, if it too tart add a little more sugar. Return the pork chops to the pan with any of the juice in the dish, coat the pork chops with the sauce and serve.

Nigella- a woman after my own heart!

The hardest thing for me about writing this blog is that when I cook normally for my own pleasure I never measure anything, so it’s been a real eye opener (and quite frankly a royal pain), having to pay attention to the way I make a dish and then write it down. I love reading recipes but honestly I never really follow them to the letter. I sense this tension too when I listen to Nigella Lawson on NPR as she talks about “pinches” and “dashes” of ingredients rather than imperial or metric measures (don’t get me started on why the US insists on staying with Imperial measures- a last vestige of Empire perhaps)?

Anyway, last week Nigella described something so delicious: Chicken Breast with Vermouth and Tarragon Sauce that I decided to pay a little homage. It helps of course that I can go foraging for the Vermouth in the cupboard and the Tarragon in my garden.

Nigella’s Chicken Breast with Vermouth and Tarragon Sauce: Serves Three for about $12

3 half skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 large shallot, finely diced

1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon

1/2 cup extra dry vermouth

1/2 heavy cream

In large fry pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, brown the chicken breasts on both sides, transfer to a dish. Add a little more oil to the pan, saute the shallot and the tarragon, scraping any bits that might have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the vermouth and reduce to half, then add the cream and return the chicken breast plus any remaining juices. Let it bubble for a few minutes until the breasts are fully cooked. Season to taste and serve.

Turkey all year round!

People often ask me what things I’d miss if I ever left LA to go back and live in Sydney or London. Unequivocally after the great friendships I’ve made here, I can say that Trader Joe’s would be near the top of my list. Even my husband who is famously shopping phobic enjoys going there, but like many men he lacks discipline with a shopping basket and ends up walking out with a dozen whimsical choices we don’t need, so I ration his visits!

My latest TJs passion is their Uncured Turkey Bacon. It says “Eat more bacon” jauntily on the packet and we do (the 0% Saturated Fat definitely helps, but it crisps up like a dream). Tonight I’m sprinkling a pile of crispy bits on a mound of Sour Cream atop a Curried Squash Soup- absolutely delicious.

Curried Squash Soup garnished with crispy Turkey Bacon Bits and Sour Cream: Serves Four for about $8

1lb butternut squash or another winter squash, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes

1 large onion, roughly diced

1 tsp curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

3 1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable

8 rashes of turkey bacon, fried gently until it is crisp, then broken up into bits

sour cream for topping

In a large pot heat 2 tablespoons of E V olive oil, add the onion, cook gently without browning. Add the curry powder, stir until fragrant, add the squash and the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer until the squash is very tender. Puree the squash and liquid mix in a blender or a food processor until smooth,( you may need to do this in batches). Transfer back into the pot, if the mix is too thick add more stock until it is to your liking, gently reheat, then season with salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and top with the crispy turkey bacon bits.