Weekend Foodie: Two simple bakes for a warming winter supper
This pork chops bake with garlic and herbs can be served with creamy gratin potatoes and greens.
The last couple of weeks of snow and ice across the county and the country has brought it home that we are still in the winter season!
But the good news is, I’ve got daffodils poking their heads out of the soil and a few little snowdrops making a brave attempt to show their faces. It’s not all bad!
However, we still need some nutritious and warming food to keep us going on these short dark days.
This weekend, I’m using pork chops on the bone for a simple bake which can be served with a gorgeous creamy potato gratin and some greens of choice for a hearty but stylish winter supper.
I love pork chops on the bone, which are not so easy to get pre-packed, but can be found on the butcher’s counter of some supermarkets or indeed in your local butcher’s shop.
In fact, in some butchers will cut the chops to order, so even if you don’t see them in the display, always ask. As they say, the nearer the bone, the sweeter the meat, and that’s exactly what you get with pork chops on the bone. These have a simple rub of fresh garlic with fresh and dried herbs and are baked in the oven for tender succulence.
For a sweet finish, this old-fashioned tray bake is just the ticket served warm with custard, cream or ice cream, or it can be cooled and enjoyed with a cuppa.
I’ve used frozen mixed berries which are extremely economical this time of year, compared to the imported fresh berries now in the shops. A comforting end to a delicious dinner!
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Finely grated zest and juice of half a lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 4 bone-in free range pork chops
- Fresh rosemary sprigs for cooking
- Mix olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and seasoning in a bowl.
- Add the herbs.
- Rub the mix into pork chops, working well into the flesh, using the fingers.
- Lay in an ovenproof dish. Top with rosemary sprigs.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes or until chops are cooked through and juices run clear.
- Serve with potato gratin and greens of choice.
- 225g butter, softened
- 225g sugar
- 4 medium fresh free range eggs, beaten
- 225g self-raising flour sifted with 1 level tsp baking powder
- Finely grated zest and juice of a lemon
- 200g frozen mixed berries, defrosted
- 3 tbsp almond flakes for topping
- Beat butter and sugar till pale and fluffy.
- Gradually add beaten eggs a little at a time, with alternate spoons of flour mix, until all eggs are incorporated.
- Fold in the remaining flour with lemon zest.
- Add just enough lemon juice to give a soft, dropping consistency, where the sponge mix will drop easily from the spoon when you lift it out of the mix.
- Spoon sponge into a greased and lined oblong deep-sided baking tray (about 20cm x 25cm is good).
- Scatter over berries, which will sink in as the cake bakes.
- Scatter evenly with almonds.
- Bake at Gas 4 350F 180C until cake is risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cover top with foil if it becomes too brown.
- Serve warm with cream, or remove from tray and leave to cool on a wire rack to eat cold.
- This will store well for a couple of days in an airtight snap-top cake box.
If you’ve managed to keep your Dry January resolution this far, well done - you’re halfway there!
This weekend, I’ve managed to find an alcohol-free red wine that will make you feel less deprived of enjoying a glass of the real thing with your weekend supper. From Australia comes Newblood Shiraz non-alcoholic wine, which will wash this meaty dinner down a treat. The makers use traditional wine-making techniques with a triple distillation of Oz’s famous Shiraz grape, to produce a full flavoured deeply plum-coloured red with heaps of the famous Shiraz spice - and none of the booze attached. A perfect match for these herby and meaty pork chops on the bone. This new wave in winemaking yet again improves the alcohol-free offering, which is now increasing in popularity as more and more wine drinkers choose the alcohol-free route on a regular basis. Find Newblood Shiraz non-alcoholic on the shelves at Supervalu stores, at €7.99 a bottle.
MAINS
Pork chops x 4: €10.00 approx
Garlic net: €1.05
Rosemary pack: €1.19
Fresh thyme: €1.19
Dried oregano 11g jar: .69c
Total: €14.12
Frozen Rasberries 340g: €1.45
Eggs half dozen: €2.20
Butter 227g: €2.19
Lemons x net of 3: €1.45
Almond Flakes 100g: €1.39
Total: €8.68
App?
