Off Duty Chef: Bringing It Home airs Wednesdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 2 thick cut pork chops, 500g on the bone
  • Coarse sea salt
  • 1 large turnip
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Handful sage leaves
  • 20g bacon lardons
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 2 tbsp butter

Method

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 180c, line a baking tray with tin foil.
  2. Peel the turnip using a serrated knife, cut the inside into thumb sized chunks and add to the baking tray along with half the sage leaves, olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 30 mins until caramelised and soft.
  3. While that’s roasting, we need to salt the pork chops. Season them heavily with rock salt on both sides and leave on a tray in the fridge for 30 mins before washing off under cold water and patting dry.
  4. Back to the turnip, place a heavy based saucepan on the heat and add the butter and bacon lardons. Cook over a high heat for 2 mins until the bacon is crispy and the butter has browned. Reduce the heat and add the diced onion and crushed garlic, cook for 2 mins until softened.
  5. At this point, remove the roasted turnip from the oven and add it to the saucepan along with some of the crispy sage, coat in the butter. Get a masher in and press it in to a mash. Adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice and add the wholegrain mustard.
  6. For the pork chop, add a non-stick pan to the heat with a touch of plain oil. Cook the pork chop on both sides for 3 minutes until golden brown. Spoon the resting juices from the pan on top and garnish with some more sage leaves.