Seared pork chops with baked apple and cherry relish Recipe

Once you’ve made this moreish relish, you’ll never go back to plain apple sauce.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, smashed

2 tsp sea-salt flakes

3 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and chopped

4 grinds black pepper

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 free-range mid-loin pork chops, rind removed, fat on (about 350g each)

Juice of 1⁄2 lemon

Watercress sprigs, to serve

BAKED APPLE AND CHERRY RELISH

4 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, quartered

1 red onion, sliced into 5mm-thick rings

2 Tbsp dried cherries

300ml dry apple cider

2 pinches saffron threads

100g butter, chopped

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season

Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced (190°C conventional) or lidded barbecue to 170°C.
To make relish, in a baking dish just large enough to fit ingredients snugly, put apples, onion, cherries and cider.
Toss to combine. Scatter over saffron and butter, then season. Bake or barbecue uncovered for 30 minutes or until apples are tender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to grind garlic and salt until almost smooth. Add rosemary, pepper and 1 Tbsp of the oil. Stir to combine then set aside.
Using a sharp knife, score the pork fat in 2cm increments, then season. Heat remaining oil in a wide heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Add chops and cook for 4 minutes on 1 side.

Turn and cook other side for 3 minutes. Smother chops in garlic mixture on 1 side, flip for 20 seconds, then flip back and continue cooking for 1 minute. Pour over lemon juice and remove from heat.
Serve pork with relish and watercress.