Cauliflower and Flank

Cauliflower sliced into quarters and tossed in Ras El Hanout with a little olive oil to help the spice mixture stick, placed on a roasting pan and cooked at 180ºC until the thickest part of the stem is tender (about 30-40 minutes). Then divided into bite-sized florets served whole and larger pieces passed through a mouli resulting in a coarse mash and then given a little body with some olive oil and seasoned.

Flank steak is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, roasted in a hot pan with an appropriate amount of butter (read: large amount), cooked over a high heat, constantly basted, turned every 30-60 seconds until it reaches a medium-rare temperature, then covered and left to rest for at least 10 minutes.

Salsa verde is made by finely chopping parsley, basil and capers together, then mixing in a bowl with some olive oil, cider vinegar and dijon mustard. Season with salt to taste.

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I had the pleasure of attending the Visa Wellington on Plate launch and this year looks like it's going to be a cracker so make sure to get in and book your place in the limited seat functions, and take advantage of the other great deals that are going to be around, I'll be found guzzling down oysters on Cuba St.

Pork Loin Chops with Cauliflower

Ingredients
Juniper berries
Apple Cider Vinegar
Sage
Lemon
Pork loin chops
Cauliflower
Crème fraîche
Horseradish
Butter
Brussel sprouts
Nutmeg

Mise en place
Juice a lemon
Crush juniper berries
Slice Sage in to strips
Floret cauliflower
De-Stem brussel sprouts (and halve)

Method

Place into a bowl/dish apple cider, lemon juice, crushed juniper berries, sage, salt, pepper and pork chops.

Mix, making sure the meat is coated in the liquid, let sit for 30 minutes and give it a good mix up again, let it sit a final 30 minutes.

10-15 minutes before the meat is finished marinating, put a couple of inches of water in a pot with a good dose of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Once boiling add the cauliflower and cook until tender.
Blend the cauliflower with a little of the liquid until smooth.
Add back to the empty pot, and on a low heat, cook off the liquid in the puree until it thickens up (about 30% reduction).
Set aside.
In a bowl, mix a good tablespoon or two of crème fraîche with a dollop of horseradish puree, set aside until the cauliflower has had a chance to cool a little.

Get a steamer on the go ready to cook the brussel sprouts while the chops are cooking.

In a frying pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil until smoking hot, and place chops in the hot oil and leave to cook about 4 minutes per side (time will vary on thickness).
DO NOT discard the marinade.
Once cooked, let the chops rest in a warm place.

Tip oil out of the pan, and place back on heat, tip the marinade in to deglaze the pan, add a knob of butter and nutmeg, then when butter is almost melted add the brussel sprouts and coat.

Just before serving, mix the crème fraîche mixture with the cauliflower, and heat through.

Done!