Warm pork chop, field mushroom and Gorgonzola salad

Warm pork chop, field mushroom and Gorgonzola salad
Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

  • A drizzle of sunflower oil
  • 2 pork chops, cut from the rack if possible, about 3cm thick
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 large field mushrooms (flatcap) sliced
  • 2 sticks celery, washed
  • 50g melted butter
  • Some fresh thyme leaves
  • 250g salad leaves, washed and dried
  • 12 seedless grapes, halved
  • 100g Gorgonzola
  • For the dressing:
  • 50ml sunflower oil
  • 2tbs red wine vinegar
  • 2tsp Dijon mustard
  • A pinch of caster sugar

1 Set the oven to 190 degrees.

2 Heat the oil in an oven-proof pan until gently smoking.

3 Season the chops, then sear on one side for five minutes, turn over and put the chops in the oven for 15 minutes (less if the chops are thinner).

4 Meanwhile, make sure the mushrooms are clean, then sit them bottom side up on a roasting tray.

5 Cut the celery into 3cm pieces at an angle and put them on the tray with the mushrooms.

6 Drizzle the butter over the mushrooms and celery, then scatter over the thyme. Season, then put in the oven to cook for 15 minutes.

7 In a large bowl, whisk the oil, red wine vinegar, mustard and sugar together.

8 When the pork chops are cooked through, remove them from the oven and allow them to rest for a few minutes under foil.

9 Remove the mushrooms and celery from the oven, then add to the dressing, along with all the juice from the tray.

10 Slice the pork thinly, then add it to the bowl with the mushrooms, making sure that all the resting juices are added also. Turn the pork, mushrooms and celery together in the dressing and season.

11 Divide the salad between four plates or on to a platter. Scatter the pork mixture on top, then the grapes and crumble over the Gorgonzola .

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford