Serving
(click to enlarge)

 Pork Chops with Prunes
France - Provence   -   Noisette de Porc aux Pruneaux
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:		 4 main
***
2-1/2 hr  
Sauce
This recipe from along the Loire vally of western France is can be served as a fancy dish, or can be made into a party buffet dish (see notes)







6
2-1/2
ar
ar
ar
------
6
2
3
2
1
2
1/2
1/4
2
3/4
1
1
------ 		oz
#


T
---
oz
oz
oz
T


t
t
T
c
T
T
--- 		Prunes (1)
Pork Chops (2)
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
-- Sauce
Onion
Carrot
Celery
Butter
Bouquet Garni (3)
Cloves
Salt
Pepper
Wine Vinegar, red
Wine, red
Butter
Flour
-- Garinish
Parsley
  1. Set PRUNES to soak in cold water for a couple of hours if needed. (see Note-1)
    2. SAUCE - Make this First   (50 min)
  2. Chop ONION, CARROT and CELERY small. Mix
  3. In a sauté pan melt 2 T BUTTER. Stir in Onion mix, Bouquet Garni, Cloves, Salt and Pepper. Fry stirring over moderate flame until onions are light golden.
  4. Stir in Vinegar and Wine. Simmer for about 20 minutes, adding water as needed.
  5. Meanwhile: place soaked Prunes in a saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, cover and poach over very low flame for 20 minutes.
  6. Strain the Sauce, discarding solids. You should end up with 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups.
  7. Work together 1 T soft Butter and 1 T flour to make a beurre manié. Break it into small pieces and stir them into the sauce. Cook over low flame for a few miutes, stirring frequently, until the lumps have all dissipated and the sauce is somewhat thickened.
  8. Stir in cooked Prunes and cook another minute or so. Keep warm (or reheat when needed).
    9. CHOPS   (20 min)
  9. Season chops lightly with salt and pepper.
  10. Heat Oil in a heavy skillet and fry Chops until golden brown on both sides. Keep warm.
  11. Meanwhile: chop PARSLEY for garnish.
  12. To serve, arrange Chops on warm plates. Ladle some sauce over and arrange a few Prunes arund them. Garnish the chops with chopped Parsley.
NOTES:
  1. Prunes:   Our fresh California prunes need no soaking - but those from other sources, or if stored too long may need soaking. Our prunes are also rather large, and very sweet, so I cut them into two or three pieces. If I had small seed-in prunes I would leave them whole, pit to be dealt with at the table. This would be the best looking form for fancy presentation of whole chops.
  2. Pork Chops:   Whole chops, bone on, make the most impressive presentation, but present difficulties. By time meat at the bone is fully cooked, the rest is a bit dry, knives are needed at the table and the bone is a bit messy to deal with becuse it's got sticky sauce all over it. For a buffet presentation I use pork cut to the thickness of pork chops and into strips about 3/4 inch wide by 2 inches long, with no bones.
  3. Bouquet Garni:   A simple bouquet made from 4 sprigs Parsley, 2 sprigs Thyme and 1 Bay Leaf is fine. Usually these would be tied into a bundle, but since all solids get strained out - just toss 'em in.
  4. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove, in=inch

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