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fennel-salted pork chops with spicy cabbage

main courses
serves 2
Roasting root veg highlights their natural flavours – the swede’s slight bitterness a foil for the sweet carrots.

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Toss the swede and carrots in a little olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, and place in a baking tray with the garlic halves and thyme. Cover with foil and put in the oven for about 45 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, remove and discard the cabbage’s outer leaves and stalk. Shred the leaves and place in a bowl. Have the mustard seeds, sliced garlic and chilli next to the cabbage, as you’ll be working quickly later.
3 When the carrots and swede are cooked through, remove the foil and return to the oven to crisp for 10–15 minutes, turning them now and then to ensure they brown evenly.
4 Meanwhile, preheat a griddle to hot, and lay your chops on a board. With a pestle and mortar, grind the fennel seeds with 1 tsp salt until no whole seeds remain. Drizzle the chops with olive oil and sprinkle with the fennel salt and plenty of black pepper, rubbing over evenly.
5 Lay the meat in the pan, making sure it makes good contact with the griddle’s ridges. Cook for 10 minutes, turning every two minutes, until cooked through. With a pair of tongs, pick the chops off the griddle and let rest for a couple of minutes.
6 Meanwhile, heat a frying pan to hot and add a splash of vegetable oil. Add the mustard seeds and, when they begin to pop, the sliced garlic and chilli. Sizzle for a few seconds, add the cabbage, season and stir-fry for a minute or so until wilted. Turn off the heat and let the cabbage sit for another minute before serving with the chops and root veg.


Recipe by Pete Begg, Photography by David Loftus
• from Jamie Magazine issue 1