Caramelised Pork Chops, Baked With Maple Syrup and Apple Topped With Creme Fraiche

A community recipe by burnt fingers

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

Introduction

This can be served at any time of the year, making a pleasant and interesting change from the normally bland fried or baked pork chops.

Ingredients

Serves: 6

1 large pork loin chops (for each person weighing about 6oz each, without the kidney)
dried porcini (or similar Italian flavoured mushrooms)
1 fluid ounces creme fraiche (for each chop)
butter (for frying the chops)
1 tablespoon thyme
2 tablespoons maple syrup
6 fluid ounces red wine
4 fluid ounces orange juice
all-purpose flour
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (to garnish)
4 ounces mushrooms (dark grilled, open capped)
1 medium bramley apple (peeled, cored and sliced)
lemon juice

Method

Caramelised Pork Chops, Baked With Maple Syrup and Apple Topped With Creme Fraiche is a community recipe submitted by burnt fingers and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°f 180°C

First, coat the chop surfaces with maple syrup, spreading the syrup with the back of a spoon, and cover these with foil and let stand in a refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

When you are ready to prepare, place the Porcini mushrooms in a bowl; pour boiling water to cover them, leaving the mushrooms to soak for 20-30 minutes, using a sheet of foil, large enough to wrap the boned chops in a large roasting tin.

In a large, thick-bottomed frying pan, melt the butter until it is bubbling, fry the chops on both sides. After browning, transfer them to the foil, coating each chop generously with maple syrup and season with salt and black pepper and sprinkle over the thyme.

Chop the open-cap mushrooms roughly and fry them in the same pan you browned the meat in, adding a little more butter if you think this needs it.

Drain the Porcini; squeezing out any excess moisture, then chop into small pieces and add these to the fresh mushrooms along with a generous squeeze of lemon juice, add tablespoonful or two of maple syrup. Let the maple syrup and orange juice and zest bubble for about 1 minute, then slowly add in the red wine and as this bubbles, then sprinkling in some of the seasoned flour and stir with a wooden spoon; place an apple ring on each of the chops and spoon the mushroom and wine mixture liberally over the pork chops. Add a few sprigs of thyme on each chop, folding the foil over loosely, but leaving some space between the chops and the foil.

Add the rest of the wine, bake in the oven for about an hour, the thickness of the chops decides the cooking time. Test the meat by using a sharp point, they should run clear.

Serve the chops with the luscious juices that the baking produces, pouring over the chops and garnish with the sprigs of thyme, adding about one tablespoonful of creme fraiche to each.

Additional Information

As this quite rich, you need to serve only with simple vegetables; the sour cream and chives creamed potatoes, is magic with this, or perhaps a crisp 'interesting' salad.

Serve with a dry wine should you want to.

The weather determines what I serve with this; potatoes, vegetables, or salad!

Creme fraiche is easy to make your own: In a glass or stainless steel container, stir gently, do not beat, together 3 parts double cream and 1 part plain yogurt. Mix well and cover with clingfilm, and place somewhere warm, the top of the refrigerator or anywhere where it will cultivate and stay warm. Let this sit overnight or at least 12 hours, when it looks thick, put it in the refrigerator; it will keep for at least a couple of weeks in a refrigerator. The completed product should taste someone tart