Pork Cutlets Escorial
1hr
4
Introduction
Vincent Price Legacy UK curator Peter Fuller samples a Spanish classic.
On one of the sunny days that hit London recently, I got the chance to dine al fresco in the back garden. It was the perfect time to dip into Vincent and Mary Price’s A Treasury of Great Recipes for inspiration as to what to do with a number of pork shoulder medallions – and there I found Pork Cutlets Escorial.
‘This dish is tremendous, as is the Escorial’, wrote Vincent about the pork cutlet recipe that he got from a chef at the Palace Hotel in Madrid, which is named after Philip II’s ‘gloomy old palace and monastery’ – just the sort of place that would suit our favourite Gothic horror star.
This dish is incredibly easy to make, and the fusion of olives, cream and Brown sauce was winner. I did, however, leave out the glacéed chestnut (aka Marrons glacés) as they were out of season.
The recipe also calls for Mustard Fruits, which originated in Cremona, Lombardy, Italy and are made from unripe fruit preserved in a syrup that has been combined with mustard oil. As I didn’t have any, I substituted it with some homemade chutney that I had lurking in the back of a cupboard and it worked a treat.
Steps
Season and sauté the pork cutlets, set aside and keep warm
Make the sauce
Transfer cutlets to warm dish, cover with sauce, garnish and serve
How to make
Rub the cutlets with the Dijon mustard each, and sprinkle with a little salt and some ground pepper. In a skillet heat the butter and in it sauté the pork cutlets for 5 minutes on each side, or until brown. Reduce heat and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Transfer cutlets to warm dish and keep warm.
SAUCE
• Discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings in pan.
• Add to pan: the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add: the wine, bring to rapid boil and boil briskly, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
• Stir in: the cream, brown sauce, stuffed olives, and glacéed chestnuts.
• Return pork cutlets to sauce and simmer for 3 minutes.
• In a small pan heat the mustard fruits in their syrup.
PRESENTATION
Transfer cutlets to warm serving dish, cover with sauce and top each cutlets with a glacéed chestnut. Drain the chopped mustard fruits and sprinkle on top.
Ingredients
4 pork cutlets
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt, pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup cream
3 tablespoons brown sauce
8 large stuffed olives (finely chopped)
4 glacéed chestnuts
6 tablespoons mustard fruits (finely chopped)