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Tender pork fillet with a glossy, sweet-tart cherry sauce, kissed with balsamic, honey, thyme and a cheeky splash of brandy. The flambé adds a wonderful depth to the sauce without overpowering those gorgeous cherries. Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 800 g pork fillet * Salt and freshly ground black pepper * 2 tablespoons olive oil * 1 tablespoon butter * 1 onion, thinly sliced * 2 garlic cloves, grated * 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves * 60 ml brandy * 250 g fresh or frozen pitted cherries * 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar * 1 tablespoon honey * 150 ml chicken stock * 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard * 1 tablespoon butter, to finish METHOD 1. PREPARE THE PORK Trim the pork fillet and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 2. BROWN THE PORK Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown it all over, turning regularly, for about 5–7 minutes. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside. It doesn’t need to be cooked through yet. 3. SOFTEN THE AROMATICS Add the onion to the same pan and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute. 4. FLAMBÉ THE BRANDY Remove the pan from the heat. Add the brandy and carefully ignite it with a long lighter. Let the flames burn out naturally, then return the pan to the heat. Never pour brandy directly from the bottle into a hot pan or near an open flame. 5. MAKE THE CHERRY SAUCE Add the cherries, balsamic vinegar, honey and chicken stock. Stir in the Dijon mustard and scrape up all those gorgeous caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan. 6. FINISH COOKING THE PORK Return the pork to the pan. Reduce the heat, cover loosely and simmer for about 8–10 minutes, turning the pork once or twice, until cooked through but still juicy. For perfectly cooked pork, use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fillet. 7. REST & REDUCE Remove the pork from the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. While it rests, let the cherry sauce bubble for a few minutes until slightly reduced and glossy. Stir in the tablespoon of butter. 8. SERVE Slice the pork into thick medallions and spoon that luscious cherry sauce over the top. THE GREEDY GIRL IN ME SAYS… don’t waste a drop of that sauce. It is absolutely begging for creamy mashed potatoes, buttery polenta or some crusty bread to mop up every last cherry-stained morsel.
Cooks playground PORK FILLET WITH CHERRY SAUCE
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This is what happens when buttery shortbread, dark chocolate and fresh cherries decide to get together. It’s rich, fudgy, crunchy, fruity and completely irresistible — and the best part is that there’s not an oven in sight. I’ve used Eat Sum Mor biscuits because their delicate, buttery shortbread is perfect here. They break up beautifully but still give you those lovely little pockets of biscuit throughout the chocolate. THE GREEDY GIRL IN ME SAYS… this is a Black Forest cake’s naughty little cousin — easier, richer and considerably more fun. Serves 10–12 INGREDIENTS For the fridge cake 250 g Eat Sum Mor shortbread biscuits 200 g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped 150 g butter 75 g golden syrup 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt 250 g fresh cherries, pitted, roughly chopped and thoroughly dried For the chocolate ganache 150 g dark chocolate, finely chopped 125 ml cream To decorate 100 g fresh cherries, pitted and halved Chocolate shavings, optional METHOD Line a 20 cm round cake tin with three layers of cling film, leaving plenty hanging over the sides. This will make removing the cake much easier. Break the Eat Sum Mor biscuits into chunky pieces. Don’t crush them too finely — we want gorgeous buttery pieces running through the cake. Place the chocolate, butter, golden syrup and cocoa powder in a heatproof bowl. Melt gently over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Pat the chopped cherries very well with kitchen paper to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Add the biscuit pieces and chopped cherries to the chocolate mixture. Fold gently until everything is coated in chocolate, taking care not to crush the biscuits or cherries. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Press it down firmly and evenly, especially around the edges, so the finished cake holds together beautifully. Fold the overhanging cling film over the top and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. MAKE THE GANACHE Place the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and melt gently over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. FINISH THE CAKE Remove the cake from the refrigerator and carefully lift it out of the tin using the cling film. Peel away the cling film and place the cake on a serving plate. Pour the ganache over the top, gently spreading it towards the edges so it drips seductively down the sides. Decorate with the halved fresh cherries and, if you fancy, a shower of chocolate shavings. Return the cake to the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to allow the ganache to set. Take the cake out of the refrigerator about 20–30 minutes before serving. This gives the shortbread and chocolate time to soften just enough for beautiful slices. THE GREEDY GIRL IN ME SAYS… make this the day before you need it. Fridge cakes are like good relationships — a little time together only makes them better.
Cooks playground - CHOCOLATE CHERRY SHORTBREAD FRIDGE CAKE
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The Cooks Playground with Jenny Morris