FLAVOURS OF France
Pork fillet with brandy prunes
Traditionally, pork with prunes is a slowly braised one-pan dish but if you use fillets, this fragrant meal is ready in a jiffy.
Makes 4 generous servings • Preparation time: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 20 minutes
• 12 dried prunes, pitted and halved
• 90ml brandy
• 2 x 800g pork fillets
• 30ml each butter and olive oil
• 12 small carrots, peeled and halved
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• a few sage leaves
• 5ml flour
• 125ml each stock and cream
1 Soak the prunes in the brandy overnight so the flavours infuse and the fruit plumps up. (Alternatively, boil together for a few minutes.)
2 Cut each pork fillet into four pieces. Place on a chopping board, cut side up, and flatten with a meat mallet until about 2cm thick. Season the meat well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the butter and oil in a pan and fry the meat quickly over high heat until golden-brown all over. Remove from the pan and allow to rest; retain the leftover oil.
