Poets and Pork Chops

Today was the last day of my Mum's visit, as she goes home tomorrow. We drove down the coast to spend part of the day in New Quay, Ceredigion. We had lunch in the beer garden of The Black Lion Hotel , which is reputed to have been a favourite watering hole of poet Dylan Thomas. in fact, a film crew recently descended on the town to make 'The Edge of Love', starring Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller and Matthew Rhys.

Our supper tonight was a simple affair and, as it was pork chops, very popular with Karl. My Mum and I cooked this together - it's one of her 'regulars', but I'd never done it before. I will certainly be doing it again, though. We used a couple of Discovery apples out of the organic fruit-and-veg box and a big spoonful of Rachel's Organic créme fraîche. You might need to add a little more if you use a different type, as this sort is very thick and creamy, much more so than standard supermarket own-brand offerings


Pork Chops in Cider

4 pork chops
1 large onion
2 apples
strong dry cider
sage leaves
créme fraîche

Heat the oven to 200°c and melt a little butter and oil together in a large roasting tin. Slice the onion thickly and turn the slices in the hot fat, then core and slice the apples and add them to the tin. Place the pork chops on top of the apple-and-onion mixture and pour over some cider to come about halfway up the chops. Grind some black pepper over the chops and sprinkle some sage leaves over the top. Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in a good dollop of créme fraîche.

I think just simple steamed potatoes and some green vegetables are just right with this, as there is plenty of nice creamy sauce to coat everything. We 'grown-ups' drank some more of the cider with our meal. Christopher and James enjoyed the cider sauce (where the alcohol is cooked out anyway), but drank apple juice and water respectively, don't worry!