Pork Chops with Parmesan Polenta, Crackling and Fennel Apple Slaw

Pork Chops with Parmesan Polenta, Crackling and Fennel Apple Slaw

Ready in 45 minutes • Serves 5
This dish most recently appeared in My Classic (5 Nights For 4) on Sunday, September 13, 2015.
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Pork chops with creamy parmesan polenta, crispy crackling and fennel apple slaw

Ingredients

PORK CHOPS

  • 5 pork chops
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 1 brown onion, diced
  • 1/2 fennel bulb, diced (reserve fronds)
  • 1 apple, core removed and diced
  • 1 1/4 cups white grape juice
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon runny honey
  • 2 teaspoons cornflour mixed with 2 teaspoons water
  • 1 teaspoon salt

DRESSING

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons white grape juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

FENNEL APPLE SLAW

  • 1/2 fennel bulb, finely sliced (reserve fronds)
  • 2 apples, cut into matchsticks
  • 1/2 savoy cabbage, finely sliced until you have 4 cups worth

PARMESAN POLENTA

  • 2 cups milk
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups polenta
  • 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon butter
  • Reserved fennel fronds, to serve

Steps

  1. oven to high grill.
  2. Slice pork fat off each chop in one piece and reserve. Pat pork dry and season. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large fry-pan on medium to high heat. Cook pork, for 3 minutes each side, for medium (depending on thickness). Set aside, covered to rest. In same pan on medium heat, add butter, onion, fennel and apple and cook for 4 minutes until caramelised. Add grape juice, vinegar, ginger, honey and cornflour mixture. Stir and simmer until thickened, 2 minutes.
  3. Pat pork fat dry, use a sharp knife and score rind side in 2cm intervals. Don’t cut all the way through fat. Place on an oven tray (with sides). Sprinkle over salt and grill, on highest oven rack, for about 12 minutes until golden and very crispy. Turn once during cooking. Drain on paper towels. Keep crackling whole or dice into pieces.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together. Toss all slaw ingredients with dressing.
  5. In a large pot, bring milk, water and salt to the boil. Add polenta while whisking continuously for 6–7 minutes, or until thickened to consistency of porridge. Stir in parmesan and butter; season with pepper.
  6. Spoon polenta onto plates, top with pork and sauce. Serve slaw on side, garnished with fennel fronds. Serve crackling on the side.

Nutritional Information

Energy 2721 kj
650 kcal
Protein 42.3g
Carbohydrate 74.5g
Fat 18.9g