pork chops with salsa verde

rich made this one night last week when i was out. he saved some for me to have when i got back at 10 - and even a couple of hours after it was cooked, it was amazing. the pork chop was succulent with a salty, savoury crust and the sauce, though punchy-sounding, was not overwhelming at all. more kind of...fragrant.

for simple food like this, i think much rides on the quality of meat and the skill of the cook to not overcook it. in this case, both were good. this is perfect food for a summer evening - even one so wet that our living room got flooded thanks to a blocked gutter and that the cab driver who took me home told me he was driving barefoot as his socks were wet.

ah the joys of english summers.

PORK CHOPS WITH SALSA VERDE

for two

2 pork chops, bone in

1tbs fresh thyme, finely chopped

seasoning

olive oil

for salsa verde:

a generous handful of parsley and basil each, chopped

2 bunches of rocket, chopped

2tbs mint leaves, chopped

1tbs capers, chopped

2 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

olive oil

1tbsp red wine vinegar

1tsp dijon mustard

for the salsa verde, mix the chopped herbs together with the capers, anchovies and garlic. add enough olive oil to moisten, then stir in the vinegar and the mustard. cover and set aside.

drizzle the pork chops with a bit of olive oil and then season with salt, pepper and chopped thyme leaves. heat some oil in a heavy based frying pan and fry the chops on each side until cook. you want brown and caramelised to the heat needs to be quite high. also fry the fat side down to crisp it up. when cooked through, leave to rest for a few minutes.

serve the chops with a tablespoon of salsa verde on the side.