Aren’t our taste buds the most amazing things? Mine had a fantastic adventure in Malaysia recently, allowing me to discover new flavours and colourful combinations of spices. Back in March, before this trip, I whetted my appetite by cooking a few Asian dishes at home – you may remember that I shared a recipe from my new Singaporean cookbook, Agak Agak. Consequently, over the last couple of months, Asian cuisine has been very much on my mind and my menu. However, too much of a good thing can often make one spoilt and just recently my taste buds have started to yearn for ‘modern-British’ food; the taste of home and the comfort of the known. Hence this month I’m sharing recipes which will be familiar but by no means boring. These days our British food, having been influenced by our wonderful multicultural society, offers lots of flavourful adventures. Who needs to go abroad?!.. This month’s menus have been developed from traditional recipes resulting in very modern but comforting dishes.

Menu One is ‘Roast Pork Chops with Apple Sauce, Chimichurri & Crackling’. Chef, Paul Ainsworth, gives the traditional pork chop an extra punch with the addition of the Latin American sauce, Chimichurri. It works particularly well with the salty pork crackling and the sweet yet slightly tart apple sauce. It’s a lively dish perfect on any day, be it May or the midst of the winter. Menu Two is ‘Balsamic Pot Roast Chicken’, which is a modern take on a traditional roast and is one of those recipes which promises to be a new family favourite. The juicy flavours of this dish are enhanced by the subtle sweetness of balsamic vinegar which younger members will definitely love!

I hope that these recipes will tempt your taste buds! See you next week for a delicious Tuesday Treat…

Roast Pork Chops with Apple Sauce, Chimichurri & Crackling (Serves 4)

In this recipe from the cookbook, ‘For the Love of Food’, Chef Paul Ainsworth gives the traditional pork chop an extra punch with the addition of the Latin American sauce, Chimichurri. It works particularly well with the salty pork crackling and the sweet yet slightly tart apple sauce. It’s a lively dish perfect on any day, be it May or the midst of the winter. (I’ve slightly changed the preparation of the crackling and chops from the original recipe).

4 pork chops

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Apple Sauce:

2 Bramly apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

100ml cider

20g caster sugar

3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

For the Chimichurri:

60g flat leaf parsley, stalks included

60g coriander, stalks included

15g oregano, leaves picked

1 garlic clove, peeled

½ teaspoon chilli flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

80ml olive oil

60ml cider vinegar

For the Crackling:

1-2 tablespoons malt vinegar

Sea salt

1. First of all make the crackling: cut off the rind from the chops. Score the rinds a couple of times. Pour boiling water over each piece, dry it, and sprinkle over the malt vinegar, rubbing it in, finally sprinkle with salt. Leave to one side for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, place on a baking tray and cook in the oven, 200’c, for 30 minutes until crisp. Leave to one side until ready to serve.
2. To make the apple sauce, take a medium saucepan and add the Bramley apple, cider, sugar and thyme leaves. Cover with a lid and cook over a high heat, stirring occasionally. The apples will soften quickly. Once smooth, add the lemon juice. Set to one side; when ready to serve, gently reheat and add the diced Granny Smith apple.
3. To make the Chimichurri, add all the ingredients to a liquidizer or food processor and blitz.
4. For the Chops, lightly oil and season with salt and pepper, then place in a hot pan over a moderate heat and brown on each side. When the chops are browned place on a baking tray and cook in the oven, 200’c fan, for about 10 minutes depending on their thickness (a meat probe will read around 47’c). Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10minutes.
5. Carve each chop and serve with the apple sauce, chimichurri and crackling.

Balsamic Pot Roast Chicken (Serves 4)

This is a modern take on a traditional roast and is one of those recipes which promises to be a family favourite. The juicy flavours of this dish are enhanced by the subtle sweetness of balsamic vinegar which younger members will definitely love! The recipe is from Donna Hay’s cookbook, ‘One Pan Perfect’. It is almost a ‘perfect one pan recipe’, however, if like me you prefer your potatoes a little crisped up, then it’s best after initially cooking together with the chicken, to move them into a separate roasting tin – I’ve adjusted the recipe below accordingly.

125ml balsamic vinegar

250ml chicken stock

60g brown sugar

8 sprigs oregano

6 cloves garlic, halved

1 x 1.6 -2kg whole chicken

900g roasting potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

400g parsnips or carrots, or a mix of both, peeled and cut in half or quartered depending on their size

Sea salt and black pepper

Olive oil

1. Place the balsamic, stock, sugar, oregano and garlic into a deep casserole dish. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan, breast side down. Add the potatoes and parsnips and/ or carrots. Drizzle with oil and cover with a tight fitting lid. Place in a preheated oven, 220’c fan, for 45 minutes.
2. Remove the lid and carefully turn the chicken over. At this point I also remove the vegetables (see note above) to a separate roasting tin together with 2 tablespoons of the cooking juices.
3. Baste and chicken in its pot and return to the oven, uncovered. At the same time baste the vegetables in their roasting tin and also return them to the oven. Cook for a further 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for around 15 minutes. Meanwhile baste the vegetables and return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until crisped to your liking.
5. Serve the chicken and it’s wonderful cooking juices with the roast vegetables on the side.