Pork Chops with Hazelnut Oil and Foraged Chanterelle Cream
Laurel hazelnut oil’s sweet nutty flavor combined with pork’s natural umami from the golden-brown crust make for a warming fall meal you won’t forget. Our process of creating unrefined oil from premium Oregon hazelnuts means you’re getting a flavorful oil rich in vitamins and nutrients, and one of the lowest levels of saturated fat, a perfect pairing in this recipe. And, because Laurel hazelnut oil is high-heat tolerant with a smoke point of 430° Fahrenheit, it creates the perfect golden sear before finishing the pork chops in the oven. Get out your Laurel hazelnut oil and enjoy the delicious nutty flavor in this recipe for Pork Chops with Foraged Chanterelle Cream from Chef Brian Stafford.
INGREDIENTS
4 each Thick cut, bone in pork chops
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 ½ tsp Fresh ground black pepper
2 T Laurel Hazelnut Oil
2 T Unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup Fresh chanterelle mushrooms
1 T Flour
1 ½ cup Chicken stock
1 tsp Fresh thyme
1 T Crème fraiche
1 T Fresh lemon juice
1 T Fresh garlic
INSTRUCTIONS
• Pre-heat oven to 400° F
• Season pork with ½ tsp pepper
• Heat hazelnut oil on medium-high heat in a cast iron skillet or oven proof pan. When oil is almost smoking, carefully lay pork chops in the pan. Cook pork chops on both sides until golden brown.
• Transfer pork chops with skillet to the oven to finish roasting. Cook for 5-10 min or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 150° F. Allow pork to rest for 4-6 minutes before plating.
• While pork is finishing in the oven, melt butter in a sauce pan at med-high heat. Add fresh garlic and chanterelle mushrooms, cooking 4-6 min or until tender. Add flour and continue mixing to create a paste. Turn down the heat and slowly add chicken stock, continuously whisking to avoid flour clumping in the sauce. Continue cooking the sauce for 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens into a gravy. Remove sauce from heat. Add fresh lemon juice and fresh thyme. Whisk in crème fraiche.
• Pour chanterelle cream over pork chops and enjoy.
Serves 4
“Living in the Pacific Northwest we are surrounded by natural beauty. Chanterelle mushrooms have been a favorite of our family’s foraging and gathering trips for years. Amongst the ferns, pines and firs we find patches of gold blanketing the misty mountains after a good rain.
Most grocery stores, particularly in the PNW, carry a wide variety of foraged or cultivated mushrooms, allowing for easy accessibility for home cooked dishes. - chef Brian Stafford”