The cider, thyme and lightly cooked gooseberry sauce gives a light and summery edge to a bacon chop.
Thanks to the Head Chef Ugo at local gastropub The Sun Inn, Dedham for this recipe. See his delicious blackcurrant focaccia too.
Serves two.
- 1 knob of butter
- 2 bacon chops, 120 – 150 g each
- Salt and pepper
- 250 g gooseberries
- 1 wine glass full of dry cider
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Melt the butter in a heavy based frying pan.
- Brown the chop on both sides, add the gooseberries, cider and thyme.
- Cover and leave to cook on the hob for 10 – 15 mins on a low heat. The gooseberries should ‘melt’ and make their own sauce.
- Check the seasoning and add a touch of sugar if desired – it should have a resemblance of apple sauce in tartness.
- Serve immediately, with griddled new potatoes and wilted chard (see below).
Griddled new potatoes
- Blanch in a pan of salted water until cooked – allow to cool slightly then cut in half lengthways.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season, then chargrill on a griddle pan until you have nice charred lines of crispness. Turn once and serve.
Wilted chard
- Select a handful of ruby or rainbow chard. Separate stalks and leaves, cut stalks into 3cm diagonals.
- Blanch for 1 – 2 mins, add leaves and blanch a further 1 minute. Strain.
- Saute in a knob of butter with half a garlic clove minced and season.