Calvados-Pepper Pork with Apple, Beans and Schupfnudeln
It had to be meat tonight- I was just in the mood- plus I had the last hunk of the pork cutlet left over that needed to be cooked. So I set about making something yummy and seasonal- I neither wanted to let you all down- nor myself! The result was a super-delicious if somewhat simple dish- sounds great already, doesn't it? So come tag along for a minute or two and I will tell you how you can make it too!
First of all, there are the "Schupfnudeln"- which are a traditional German potato-dumpling kind of affair- similar to gnocchi. They are made of a 50/50 mix of flour and mashed potato, with egg, salt, nutmeg and a little oil. It is best to pre cook the potatoes the day before- so these are great to make out of left-overs... which is what I did! Mix the potato and egg together first and gradually add the flour, until you achieve a nice, firm consistency. Roll out the dough with your hands and then cut off 2" pieces. Now roll these in turn and press down more at the outside edges, first one side and then the other, to shape them into little potato torpedo's!
Drop them into gently boiling water for 1-2 minutes and then strain them off and run them under cold water to stop the cooking procedeure- this should leave them half done and ready to be finished in the frying pan with a little clarified butter. Fry them at a gentle heat. grating again lightly with nutmeg and sprinkling with fresh parsley and a little salt and pepper. Done!
The beans were simply pre-cooked for 2-3 minutes, then fried with chopped garlic, mixed pepper corns and a little lemon zest. Toss in a little olive oil before serving... this is all almost too easy, right? But isn't that just cool!?!
OK, we are slowly getting there... time to get serious and talk about the main attraction!
The pork is almost easier than the rest- it goes into the frying pan with apple slices- I used a delicious Kanzi apple which is sweet, tart and delicious. I seasoned them with a sprinkle of my "Salt of the Earth" and sautéed them in a little clarified butter and a little olive oil, with a clove of garlic and some fresh rosemary and thyme. I deglazed the frying pan with a shot of Calvados- a yummy apple liquor, which obviously tastes wonderful combined with the apple and pork.
Turn the heat off on the pork and allow it to "rest" for 3-4 minutes, after which time, it will have exuded some juice- which is great, because we are going to add a little honey, give it a stir and turn all the goodness from inside of the meat, the browned surface of the pan and the sweetness of the apple into a lovely glaze... terrific!
Serve this with a nice cool white- my German friends will hate me for saying this, but a Chardonnay would go down very well- and enjoy!
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