Cardamom-Crusted Pork

Cardamom Recipe #3

Cardamom Crusted Pork with Mushroom Sauce
adapted from Bon Appetit (November 2001)

3/4 cup chopped shallots
2 1/2 TBSP olive oil
1 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 boneless pork chops (about 1 pound)
1/2 lb. baby bella mushrooms, quartered
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 TBSP flour
1/2 TBSP butter
parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Puree 1/4 cup shallots, 1 TBSP oil, 1 tsp cardamom and garlic in processor. Spread 1/4 cup of shallots in center of roasting pan; top with pork. Sprinkle pork generously with freshly ground black pepper; coat with puree mixture. Toss mushrooms, remaining shallots and 1 1/2 TBSP oil in bowl; sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper; arrange around pork.

Roast pork 15 minutes. Spoon mushrooms into large saucepan. Add 2/3 cup broth to roasting pan. Roast pork until cooked through, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer to platter and tent to keep warm.

Scrape juices from roasting pan into saucepan. Add cream, remaining 1/3 cup broth, and 1/8 tsp cardamom to pan; bring to a boil. Blend flour and butter in a small cup; mix into mushroom sauce. Cook sauce, stirring often, until reduced enough to coat spoon, about 5 minutes. Serve with pork, sprinkling whole dish with parsley.

Serves 2.

Notes: The original recipe calls for onions and is made with a pork rib roast. Since I was going for a smaller version and suspected that onions wouldn't have enough time to cook through and might give the dish a more bitter taste, I switched to the shallots. Overall, an interesting dish with a lot of texture, but some conflicting flavors. To be honest, I ended up liking the mushrooms and sauce more than the pork with its topping.

Served with Solaris 2003 Pinot Noir.

Posted by Jennifer at May 15, 2005 2:30 PM