Cuisine – Tribute to Jamie

Despite the recent ruin of much of his British restaurant empire, we all still have a lot to learn from Jamie Oliver when it comes to cooking. He’s quick and simple, rustic and fresh. He has a ‘no fuss’ attitude, yet he produces such stylish dishes. His recipes are among my most treasured. I would like to pay tribute to Jamie by sharing a dish of his that I absolutely love making alongside my own tabbouleh. Tabbouleh is a fresh, finely chopped salad. Technically, you could pair the pork with roast vegetables or mash, it’s completely up to you. Just try not to eat all the crackling before the meal gets to the table!

Pork, Peach and Crackling

2 x 250g pork chops, with rind
4 cloves of garlic
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
400g tin of peach halves in juice
50ml bourbon

Preheat your oven on grill to 210C. Carefully slice the rind off your chops and score the fat  side of it in a criss-cross fashion. Place rind skin side up on a tray. Pop under the grill for 5 minutes to crisp up into crackling, checking often to make sure it doesn’t burn. Season the chops with salt and black pepper. Score the fat that remains on the chops, then sit them together (fat edges down) in a large, cold, non-stick frying pan. Use tongs if necessary. Place pan on a high heat until golden and fat has rendered off (approx 4min). Turn the chops on to their sides and cook for a further 5 minutes on each side. While the chops are cooking, peel and finely slice garlic, and strip off rosemary leaves. When ready, pop your chops on to a plate. Drain 90 per cent of the fat from the pan then sprinkle the garlic into the pan to simmer. Stir garlic regularly until golden, and then add the rosemary and four drained peach halves, flat side down. Jiggle over the heat until these too are golden. Return the chops to the pan, add the bourbon and carefully set fire to it with a match. Be careful! Once the flames begin to subside, dish up with the crispy crackling and tabbouleh. Enjoy.

Tabbouleh

1/2 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
2 cups of boiling water or chicken stock
3 cups of finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup of finely chopped mint
3 tomatoes, cored and chopped finely
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, pour boiling water or hot chicken stock over the bulgur. Let the bulgur sit until softened (approx 1hr) and then strain through a sieve. Combine the bulgur with your chopped parsley, mint and tomatoes in a serving bowl. Add oil and lemon juice, then stir until well mixed. Add salt to taste. Set aside to serve next to pork or refrigerate (max 24hr).

Nicola Bolton
rosierambino@outlook.com