Day 243: classic comfort

I have fond memories of my Nan and Grandad cooking something similar to this when I was younger. Nan would cook the chops and sides (of course, gnocchi didn’t feature here - I’m pretty sure even now she doesn’t know what it is) and when it was time for the sauce to be made she’d call my grandad in. Their edition used calvados, and I suspect it was the flambéing of this my Nan wanted to keep her well-lacquered hair away from! I wouldn’t say I grew up a fussy eater, but there was a time when I would only order something if it came with a creamy, wholegrain mustard sauce; and if it wasn’t on the menu, I’d cheekily - and politely, of course - ask if it was possible to have some made (I was a very shy child but had no inhibitions when it came to food).

Day 243 is an evocative little number: Nigella’s Mustard Pork Chops - the comfort of a chop and the nostalgia of a classic, creamy, mustardy sauce. I enjoyed gnocchi for the first time today; I used the fresh-from-the-fridge stuff instead of the dried/vacuum-packed stuff I usually buy.

Nigella's Mustard Pork Chops

Being a saucy house I did of course triple the sauce quantities (on top of doubling the recipe to feed everyone), and thoroughly - and selfishly - enjoyed the pleasure of finishing the sauce straight from the bowl with a spoon.

The recipe for Nigella’s Mustard Pork Chops can be found on p24 of Express and on nigella.com (link below).