As a Chef, don’t you just love it when you discover new and unexpected flavour combinations to surprise and delight the palate? Butter-basted, fennel seed-spiced pork chop is sided with a dried cranberry, cooling mint, creamy feta, & fresh greens salad and oven roasted aubergine. Finished with toasted almonds.
Domaine Des Dieux’s Fennel Pork Chop
Domaine Des Dieux’s Fennel Pork Chop
with fresh mint & Danish-style feta cheese
Hands on Time: 25 - 45 minutes
Overall Time: 40 - 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- Almonds
- Aubergine
- Danish-style Feta
- Dried Cranberries
- Fennel Seeds
- Fresh Mint
- Pork Loin Chop
- Salad Leaves
From your kitchen:
- Oil (cooking, olive or coconut)
- Salt & Pepper
- Water
- Paper Towel
- Butter
ROASTED AUBS
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Spread the aubergine wedges on a roasting tray, coat in oil, and season. Roast in the hot oven until softened, 30-35 minutes (shifting halfway).
ALL THE ALMONDS
Place the chopped almonds in a pan over medium heat. Toast until golden brown, 2-4 minutes (shifting occasionally). Remove from the pan and set aside.
CHOP-CHOP PORK CHOP
Pat the pork chop dry with paper towel. Using a pair of kitchen scissors or a knife, make a few shallow incisions along the fat to prevent the meat from buckling during frying. Coat in oil, and season. Return the pan to medium-high heat. When hot, sear the pork chop, fat-side down, until the fat is rendered and crispy, for 3-5 minutes. Then, fry until cooked through, for 3-4 minutes per side. In the final 1-2 minutes, baste with a knob of butter and the fennel seeds (to taste). Remove from the heat and reserve any pan juices.
CRANBERRY & MINT SALAD
Place the shredded leaves in a bowl and toss together with the cranberries, ½ the chopped mint, ½ the toasted nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, and season.
WHAT A DELIGHT!
Plate up the golden aubergine wedges alongside the fennel basted pork. Drizzle with any remaining pan juices. Side with the cranberry salad and sprinkle over the crumbled feta. Finish with a scattering of the remaining mint and nuts.
Aubergine - 250g
Almonds - 10g
Pork Loin Chop - 220g
Fennel Seeds - 2,5ml
Salad Leaves - 20g
Dried Cranberries - 10g
Fresh Mint - 3g
Danish-style Feta - 20g
ROASTED AUBS
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Spread the aubergine wedges on a roasting tray, coat in oil, and season. Roast in the hot oven until softened, 30-35 minutes (shifting halfway).
ALL THE ALMONDS
Place the chopped almonds in a pan over medium heat. Toast until golden brown, 2-4 minutes (shifting occasionally). Remove from the pan and set aside.
CHOP-CHOP PORK CHOP
Pat the pork chops dry with paper towel. Using a pair of kitchen scissors or a knife, make a few shallow incisions along the fat to prevent the meat from buckling during frying. Coat in oil, and season. Return the pan to medium-high heat. When hot, sear the pork chop, fat-side down, until the fat is rendered and crispy, for 3-5 minutes. Then, fry until cooked through, for 3-4 minutes per side. In the final 1-2 minutes, baste with a knob of butter and the fennel seeds (to taste). Remove from the heat and reserve any pan juices.
CRANBERRY & MINT SALAD
Place the shredded leaves in a bowl and toss together with the cranberries, ½ the chopped mint, ½ the toasted nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, and season.
WHAT A DELIGHT!
Plate up the golden aubergine wedges alongside the fennel basted pork. Drizzle with any remaining pan juices. Side with the cranberry salad and sprinkle over the crumbled feta. Finish with a scattering of the remaining mint and nuts.
Aubergine - 500g
Almonds - 20g
Pork Loin Chop - 440g
Fennel Seeds - 5ml
Salad Leaves - 40g
Dried Cranberries - 20g
Fresh Mint - 5g
Danish-style Feta - 40g
ROASTED AUBS
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Spread the aubergine wedges on a roasting tray, coat in oil, and season. Roast in the hot oven until softened, 35-40 minutes (shifting halfway).
ALL THE ALMONDS
Place the chopped almonds in a pan over medium heat. Toast until golden brown, 2-4 minutes (shifting occasionally). Remove from the pan and set aside.
CHOP-CHOP PORK CHOP
Pat the pork chops dry with paper towel. Using a pair of kitchen scissors or a knife, make a few shallow incisions along the fat to prevent the meat from buckling during frying. Coat in oil, and season. Return the pan to medium-high heat. When hot, sear the pork chop, fat-side down, until the fat is rendered and crispy, for 3-5 minutes. Then, fry until cooked through, for 3-4 minutes per side. In the final 1-2 minutes, baste with a knob of butter and the fennel seeds (to taste). Remove from the heat and reserve any pan juices.
CRANBERRY & MINT SALAD
Place the shredded leaves in a bowl and toss together with the cranberries, ½ the chopped mint, ½ the toasted nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, and season.
WHAT A DELIGHT!
Plate up the golden aubergine wedges alongside the fennel basted pork. Drizzle with any remaining pan juices. Side with the cranberry salad and sprinkle over the crumbled feta. Finish with a scattering of the remaining mint and nuts.
Aubergine - 750g
Almonds - 30g
Pork Loin Chop - 660g
Fennel Seeds - 7,5ml
Salad Leaves - 60g
Dried Cranberries - 30g
Fresh Mint - 8g
Danish-style Feta - 60g
ROASTED AUBS
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Spread the aubergine wedges on a roasting tray, coat in oil, and season. Roast in the hot oven until softened, 35-40 minutes (shifting halfway).
ALL THE ALMONDS
Place the chopped almonds in a pan over medium heat. Toast until golden brown, 2-4 minutes (shifting occasionally). Remove from the pan and set aside.
CHOP-CHOP PORK CHOP
Pat the pork chops dry with paper towel. Using a pair of kitchen scissors or a knife, make a few shallow incisions along the fat to prevent the meat from buckling during frying. Coat in oil, and season. Return the pan to medium-high heat. When hot, sear the pork chop, fat-side down, until the fat is rendered and crispy, for 3-5 minutes. Then, fry until cooked through, for 3-4 minutes per side. In the final 1-2 minutes, baste with a knob of butter and the fennel seeds (to taste). Remove from the heat and reserve any pan juices.
CRANBERRY & MINT SALAD
Place the shredded leaves in a bowl and toss together with the cranberries, ½ the chopped mint, ½ the toasted nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, and season.
WHAT A DELIGHT!
Plate up the golden aubergine wedges alongside the fennel basted pork. Drizzle with any remaining pan juices. Side with the cranberry salad and sprinkle over the crumbled feta. Finish with a scattering of the remaining mint and nuts.
Aubergine - 1kg
Almonds - 40g
Pork Loin Chop - 880g
Fennel Seeds - 10ml
Salad Leaves - 80g
Dried Cranberries - 40g
Fresh Mint - 10g
Danish-style Feta - 80g