"Cooking is truly an act of love".....Jacques Pepin - Encore G

Fennel-crusted Pork with sage, sauteed apples and almonds served on a bed of spinach - inspired by a magnificent meal cooked by G this week.  Encore G.
Serves 4





Fennel-crusted pork fillets with sage
2 pork fillets - (combined approx 700 g / 22oz)
4 tsp fennel seeds (available dried)
2 tsp sea salt
Cracked black pepper
4 tsp chopped sage leaves (or rosemary)
Olive Oil
Place fennel, salt pepper and sage in a mortar and pestle and pound to a coarse mixture and sprinkle over pork.  Heat a non- stick fry pan over medium high heat.  Add oil and pork and cook for 4 minutes each side or until cooked to your liking.  Alternatively, after searing pork in pan, set aside then finish for a few minutes in a medium oven before serving.

Sauteed Apples
A little butter
2 - 3  green apples  - peeled, cored and cut into wedges
a little sugar - (1 1/2  tbsp or less)
1/3 cup almonds - roasted in oven  (or hazelnuts or macadamia nuts)
1/4 cup sherry (optional)
Saute apples in butter in heavy pan, add sugar and sherry.  Stir in chopped sage leaves and nuts.  Keep warm. 
(Alternatively, in a small ovenproof serving dish, cook the apples in the oven with the pork, adding sage and nuts when cooked.)  Serve separately.

Spinach with garlic, chilli and toasted fennel seeds
300g / 10oz  spinach roughly chopped - blanched in boiling water, drained to remove excess moisture
2 garlic cloves crushed or chopped
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tbsp fennel seeds toasted and crushed
jus, warmed to serve

Heat a little olive oil in a heavy based frying pan, add garlic, chilli and fennel seeds, then add the spinach.  Cook briefly until tender  - should still stay green and intact. 

"Cooking is truly an act of love".....Jacques Pepin. . He moves on to say "Cook with love. Sit down around the table and share food with your children and your family. ....... You always communicate through cooking. You cannot cook indifferently, otherwise the food won't come across the right way."


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