Sage butter

SERVES 8 / PREPARATION 6 HOURS / COOKING 20 MINUTES

FOR THE PORK

500g sugar

5 sprigs thyme

3 bay leaves

10g coriander seeds

10g peppercorns

10g juniper berries

10g star anise

2 cinnamon sticks zest of 1 lemon

4 litres water

250g salt

8 bone-in pork chops

4 tablespoons butter

1 teapsoon salt sage butter, to serve pork jus, to serve pickled garlic, to serve roasted sweet peppers, to serve parsley, to serve

Make a dry caramel by heating the sugar and aromatics (use 3 sprigs of thyme here, reserve the rest for the baste) over a high heat until it comes to a dark caramel colour. Once the caramel is golden add the water and salt. Once dissolved allow to cool below 5℃. Brine the pork chops for six hours. Remove the pork chops from the brine and sear them on both sides until golden brown. Roast in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 50℃ (about 8 minutes at 200℃). Put the butter, salt and 2 sprigs of thyme in a pan and heat. Add the pork chop and spoon hot butter over to finish cooking. To serve, partially melt a portion of sage butter on top of each chop. Put a spoonful of pork jus alongside each chop, top the jus with a serve of peppers and place some pickled garlic atop the peppers. Garnish with parsley.

FOR THE SAGE BUTTER

½ large onion, diced

1 clove garlic, sliced on a mandolin 250g unsalted butter, at room

temperature

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons sriracha

¼ bunch sage leaves, fried ⅛ bunch sage, finely shredded 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard

Sweat the onions and garlic until cooked but not coloured. With the paddle attachment on a mixer combine all the ingredients. Cool the butter until pliable but not completely hardened. Roll into tubes using plastic wrap then cut into discs. This makes more than is required for this recipe

– it can be stored in the freezer.

FOR THE PORK JUS 500ml chicken jus 200ml whipping cream 160g smoked pork

Reduce the chicken jus by about half, add the cream and continue to reduce until it will coat the back of a spoon. Slice the smoked pork trimmings and steep the meat in the jus for about 15 minutes, then season to taste.

FOR THE PICKLED GARLIC

50ml water 100ml white wine vinegar

12g sugar

1 clove

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

1 clove garlic

In a pan combine all the ingredients except the garlic. Bring to a boil, then cool. Slice the garlic on a mandolin then pour over 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce.

FOR THE ROASTED SWEET PEPPERS

5 red peppers

8 pickled sweet peppers, cut into strips

Deep fry the red peppers until blistered. Cover and let sweat, then peel, remove the seeds and stems and cut into strips. Combine with the pickled peppers. Serve with the pork chops.

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