MY FAVOURITE RECIPES

SEPTEMBER PORK

Ingredients
One pork Fillet cut into chunks
2 Pork Stock cubes
2 bay leaves
small head of celery
2/3 medium size carrots
several floury potatoes (say 1lb to 11/2lb)
2 medium english onions
1 oz plain flour
1 oz Margarine or butter

Method
Dissolve stock cubes in a pint of boiling water
Pour on to meat chunks in a saucepan bring to boil
Add Bay leaves, carrots cut into cubes, Celery cut into cubesand chopped onions.
Simmer for twenty or so minutes until meat is half cooked.
Add diced potatoes and simmer for further 15 minutes until potatoes have cooked.
Remove from heat
Blend together 1oz plain flour with an ounce of margarine or butter.
Gradually add the liquid from the saucepan to the blended roux
Check the seasoning add the roux to the saucepan stir well and return to heat for a minute or two until it thickens.
Serve

PORK FILLET EN CROUTE

This is one of my favourite dishes

Ingredients
One whole pork fillet
Shortcrust pastry
1/2 lb mushrooms cleaned and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
medium english onion chopped finely
crushed clove of garlic
1/4 of a cup of sherry
1 Egg separated into yolk and white

Method
Roast fillet in a medium oven for 40 minutes
Put the mushrooms in a clean tea towel and squeeze out moisture.
In a frying pan heat the butter and oil and saute onions
Add mushrooms and sherry and cook until dry
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper
Remove Fillet from oven after 40 minutes
Roll out pastry to form a blanket sufficient to cover the fillet
Smear the mushroom mixture all over the fillet
Place fillet on to pastry and seal the edges with egg white to form a neat parcel.
Brush pastry with egg yolk and return to hot oven (200 to 210) for twenty minutes.

Carve into thick slices and serve with saute french beans and saute salad potatoes.
And of course a bottle (or two) of red wine. TIP Make sure the pastry is not too thick or it will not cook through

GRILLED PORK CHOPS IN A CIDER SAUCE

Ingredients
4 shallots chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley or fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 pork chops
1oz butter
1/4 pint of dry cider
1 tablespoon of calvados (optional)
sage leaves to garnish if you want to be cheffy

Method
Mix the shallots and parsley or thyme leaves together with salt and black pepper to taste.
Score the pork chops on both sides.
Spread the chops with the mixture working it well into the scored meat.
Cook under a preheated medium grill for 15 minutes until tender.
Transfer the chops to a frying pan, drain off any excess fat from the grill pan and pour the juices over the chops.
Add the cider and boil for 2 or 3 minutes until the liquor has reduced by a 1/3 to a 1/2
Stir in the calvados if using
Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with sage leaves and serve.

PORC A LA CREME

>Ingredients
1 1/2 lb pork fillet
1 oz of butter
1 onion peeled and chopped
1 level tablespoon paprika
2 table spoons of Olive oil
1 level tablespoon flour
1/2 pint of water
1 pork stock cube
4 fl oz dry sherry
1 level teaspoon tomato purèe
Freshly ground pepper to season
6oz button mushrooms
1 level tablespoon cornflour
5 fl oz of double cream
Method
For this ideally you will need a medium to large straight-sided frying pan.
Remove sinews and fat from pork, and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
Put the paprika and flour into a medium size plastic bag and toss the pork to coat it.
Heat oil in pan, and add the butter.
Add the pork chunks and fry until sealed and then remove.
Toss the chopped onion in the remainder of the paprika and flour and tip the lot into the frying pan.
Remove from heat, add sherry to deglaze and then add the stock (made with the water and stock cube) and tomato purèe.
Return to heat and simmer until thick.
Season with the freshly ground pepper (please note you may need some salt but there is usually enough in the stock cube).
Return the pork, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
Add the mushrooms for the final 10 minutes of cooking time
Blend the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of cold water, add to the pan and bring up to boil.
Remove from heat and blend in the cream.
Garnish with triangles of fried bread and sprigs of parsley, rosemary or thyme.
Serve with salad potatoes and whole green beans.