Festive Apple Mustard Glazed Pork Chops with Gnocchi

Happy Christmas Eve!  Now, I know most of you are getting ready for the big holiday feasts, and I want to add a little more festive cheer with this apple mustard glazed pork chop recipe.  This recipe oozes comfort and warmth, especially with plump tender gnocchi coated in a sauce sweetened with caramelly brown sugar.

What’s even more comforting is that the whole meal can be cooked and presented in one skillet!  Which makes for effortless cooking (and cleaning up!) yet resonates irresistible country charm.  

What you’ll need (serves 2):

• 2 cuts of pork chops
• 250g gnocchi 
• 1 apple
• 1/2 kiwi
• 1 1/2 tbls whole grain mustard
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 tbls brown sugar
• 2 tsp butter
• salt & pepper

2-3 hours prior to dinner

A quick and natural way to tenderize meat is to coat it with kiwi juice.  I mash half a kiwi to extract the juices, and then coat each pork chop with it.  Sprinkle also with salt and pepper and let them sit in the fridge for about 3 hours.

Kiwi juice is a fast and natural way to tenderize meat.

After the pork has marinaded in the kiwi juice for a few hours, take it out and let it come to room temperature before grilling (around 10 minutes).

Meanwhile, start boiling water for the gnocchi.  Core and cut the apple into 0.5cm slices.

Heat up a skillet with a good lug of oil on medium heat (I love my Le Creuset fennel green skillet for this!).  Make sure the skillet is quite hot before placing the chops in.  

There will be some sizzle, don’t be intimidated!  Cook for about 5 minutes (this really depends on the thickness of the chops) and flip over.  At this time, pour in the apples and let them cook alongside the pork for another 5 minutes.  

Take the pork chops out and place on a warm plate.  Cover them with a sheet of aluminum foil and let that sit while you work on the sauce.  It helps to rest the meat so that the juices go back in to the chops.

Deglaze the skillet with white wine.  Let the apples stew in the wine for a couple of minutes.  

Stir in whole grain mustard.

Stir in brown sugar and let sauce simmer for another minute.  

Turn off the heat and add a dollop of butter – this will give the sauce a silky texture.

By now, in a separate pot, the water should have come to a boil for the gnocchi.  Cook them according to package instructions – fresh gnocchi should take only 2 minutes to cook.  They’re ready when they float to the surface.  

Drain and add them to the skillet.  Coat each plump gnocchi in the luxurious silky sauce.

Add the pork chops back into the skillet and coat with the sauce.

Voila!  Now you have a charmingly rustic dish to add to the table.  

Bon Appetit!