Pork Chops with Orange & Fennel Salad

By garciamoss

Ingredients

• 3 navel oranges
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 4 4-ounce boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, roughly chopped or coarsely ground in a spice grinder
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 3 cups watercress, or arugula, tough stems removed

Details

Adapted from eatingwell.com

Preparation

Step 1

Remove the skin and white pith from oranges with a sharp knife. Working over a bowl, cut the segments from their surrounding membranes. Squeeze juice in the bowl before discarding membranes. Transfer the segments with a slotted spoon to another bowl. Whisk lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the bowl with the orange juice. Set aside.
Season pork chops on both sides with fennel seeds, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chops and cook until browned and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add sliced fennel and shallot to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add watercress (or arugula) and cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the reserved orange segments, then transfer the contents of the pan to a platter.
Add the reserved orange juice mixture and any accumulated juices from the pork chops to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Serve the pork chops on the fennel salad, drizzled with the pan sauce.