How To Cook Pork chop with Sicilian style Caponata

10 mins
20 mins
2

Recipe by

Jeff Baker

Ingredients

2 free-range pork chops Olive oil to cook
1 red onion peeled & finely diced
2 sticks celery peeled & finely diced
1 red pepper finely diced
1 green pepper finely diced
1 courgette finely diced
1 small aubergine peeled & finely diced
4 cloves garlic
8 anchovy fillets
2 tbsp capers
200ml Passata (Mutti is my go to)
1 unwaxed lemon
Few chilli flakes
Olive oil
Sea salt to taste

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Introduction

A simple dish showcasing free range pork at its best with a Sicilian style Caponata, the ratatouille of Italy, best served warm to allow all those amazing flavours burst out onto the palette. This quantity will make a little more than you require so keep for another day, it's perfect with soft boiled eggs & freshly baked ciabatta, grilled fish or chicken.

Method

Chop the garlic & anchovies together to form a paste.
Soften the anchovy & garlic in a little olive oil over a medium heat, then add the onions & cook till tender, remove from the pan & keep to one side.
Next in this order, saute the celery, peppers, courgette & aubergine separately in olive oil, seasoning as you go keeping a little crunch in each one.
Add everything together back in the pan with the passata & bind together over a medium heat.
Next, add capers, a few chilli flakes if using & a squeeze of lemon juice.
Check for seasoning & keep to one side.

Remove your chops from the packaging, pat dry and bring to room temperature.
Preheat a griddle or heavy-based frying pan large enough to hold the chops until it sizzles when you add a drop of oil.
Season the chops liberally with sea salt just before cooking & drizzle over a little olive oil.
Place the chops on the fat to render before searing on the flat sides, cooking over medium-high heat, and turning a couple of times.
Once well-coloured, cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, when pressing the chops with your thumb, it should be slightly firm to touch & a core temperature of 60°C before resting.
Finish by adding a large knob of butter to the pan & basting over the chops for the final couple of minutes.
Leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes before serving.