Pork Chops with Cabbage Apple and Fennel and Mashed Potatoes with Cheddar Bacon and Chives

By Golfwidow7

Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 bulb fennel, trimmed, quartered, cored and very thinly sliced
• 3 crisp apples, peeled, quartered, cored and very thinly sliced
• 2 small onions, quartered, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 1 small or 1/2 large white or Savoy cabbage (3/4 to 1 pound) , quartered, cored and sliced 3/4-
• to 1-inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon Acacia honey
• 1 lemon, divided
• 4 bone-in pork loin chops, about 1 1/4 inches thick
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• For the mashed potatoes
• 8 slices meaty bacon
• 4 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 6 chunks per potato
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2-3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 ounches grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• About 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• 1/4 cup minced chives
• For the gravy
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange bacon on slotted pan and cook to crisp. Finely chop.
While the bacon cooks, place potatoes and garlic in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a
boil. Salt water and cook potatoes to tender. Drain and pass potatoes through a food mill or
ricer set over the hot pot. Stir in milk, butter, cheese, salt, white pepper, nutmeg, chives and
3/4 of the chopped bacon. Adjust seasoning to taste and cover to keep warm. (If you are
holding potatoes for a long period of time—an hour or more—place pot with potatoes in larger
pan with simmering water to create a bain-marie.
For the gravy, melt butter in a saucepot or skillet. Add peppers, whisk in flour, stocks and
Worcestershire. Cook to thicken, add salt to taste and lower heat.
For the cabbage, heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons oil,
fennel, apples, onion, cabbage, salt, pepper and thyme. Sauté 12-15 minutes to tender-crisp,
add 1 cup water and honey let it absorb 5 minutes more. Add juice of 1/2 lemon just before
serving.
For the chops, heat a large, cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, with remaining 2
tablespoons oil, 2 turns of pan. Wipe around pan with a paper towel to evenly coat the bottom
then add chops. Cook 10 minutes, turning occasionally, douse chops with stock and juice of
half a lemon. Reduce heat and evaporate liquids; remove from heat.
Serve chops with potatoes topped with gravy and remaining bacon, with extra gravy for and
the cabbage alongside.