Ingredients

• 2 pork chops on the bone
• 3cm/1in thick
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 20g/½oz unsalted butter
• 4 medium potatoes (preferably Maris Piper or King Edward)
• cut into 1cm/½in and place in a bowl of cold water
• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 pinches sea salt
• 2 pinches freshly ground black pepper
• 20g/½oz unsalted butter
• handful flat-leaf parsley
• finely chopped
• ½ shallot
• finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• finely chopped
• 8 leaves sage
• deep-fried for one minute until crisp
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions

• For the pork chops
• season the chops with the salt and scatter the black pepper over them
• pressing it firmly into the chops on each side.
• On a medium heat
• in a large frying pan
• heat the butter until foaming
• but without letting it burn.
• Raise the heat to medium high
• lay the chops in the foaming butter and cook for 6–7 minutes on each side for medium.
• Transfer the chops to a warm plate with tongs. Pour 100ml/3½fl oz cold water into the hot pan. There will be a lot of sizzling
• and the water and butter will create an emulsion. Scrape the base of the pan with a wooden spoon to release the caramelised residue
• which will give taste and colour to the juice. Continue to heat for a minute or so until the liquid reduces in volume to a rich sauce.
• For the sauté potatoes
• blanch the diced potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds
• then drain in a colander and allow the steam to escape for a minute or two. (Of course you can cook the potatoes from raw
• but they may brown too quickly as they have a high starch content. By blanching them you are neutralising the starches
• giving the potato a better texture and colour.)
• On a high heat
• in a large frying pan
• gently fry the diced potatoes in the oil
• season with salt and pepper and cook for 4–5 minutes stirring every minute until golden-brown.
• For the persillade
• mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl.
• Reduce the heat of the potatoes
• add the butter and two-thirds of the persillade. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• To serve
• pour the juices from the deglazed chop pan onto the steaks and serve with the sautéed potatoes
• crisp sage leaves and Dijon mustard.