Herb Crusted Pork Chop, Potato Fritters
About
Traditional and modern elements are brought together to form a vibrant but comforting dish.
Ingredients
Pork Chops, approx. 9 oz/250 g ea, .2 ea.
Flour as needed.
Egg white, beaten, one ea. (use the yolk to make the pate a choux)
Fresh herbs--parsley, mint, thyme as available, 1 oz./30 g.
S+P to taste.
Vegetable oil, 2 oz./60 ml.
Potato Fritters/Pâte à Choux :
Red (new) potatoes, 12 oz./350 g.
Russet potato, 1 ea. approx. 12 oz./320 g.
Water, 1/2 cup/125 ml.
Salt, a pinch.
Flour, 1/2 cup/125 ml.
Butter, .5 oz./15 g.
Egg, whole, 1 ea.
Egg Yolk, 1 ea.
Shortening or vegetable oil for deep frying--approximately 3 cups/700 ml.
Baby Greens; chard, kale, spinach, or comparable, 2 oz/60 g.
Extra virgin olive oil, 1 oz/30 ml.
Balsamic vinegar, 0.5 oz/15 ml.
S+P
Ketchup as needed..
Equipment requirements
Immersion circulator, portable or stationary.
Heat rated container, minimum of 2 gallons/8 liters.
Heat rated sous vide bags.
Kitchenaid type mixer.
Flour shaker or fine meshed strainer.
Kitchenaid type mixer with paddle.
Mandolin
Flat bottomed skillet, approximately 12″/30 cm. and 3″/90 mm deep.
Kitchen tongs, metal.
Instructions
Serves 2 Level of difficulty 2
Procedure:
Vacuum seal the potatoes. Sous vide process at 183F/84CX1 hour Shock in iced water to 70F/21C and refrigerate to 40F/4C. Pre-heat the sous vide bath to 135 F/57 C Load the individual pork chops in Ziploc Quart Freezer bags or vacuum. Process for 4 hours. Shock in iced water to 70 F/21 C and refrigerate to 40 F/4 C. Pâte à Choux Bring the 1/2 cup/125ml water, 0.5 oz./15g butter and a pinch of salt to a full boil. Remove from heat and immediately add the 1/2 cup/125 ml flour. Return to low heat and stir for one minute to release steam. Add the paste to the Kitchenaid mixer with paddle and turn on medium speed. Add the whole egg and the egg yolk. Continue to mix until the paste is smooth and free of dots--approximately five minutes. While the dough is mixing: Run the red potatoes through the julienne blade on the mandolin--they will tend to fall apart. Peel the Russet potato and run through the julienne blade--it should form coarse strips. Add the potatoes to the batter and mix for 30 seconds--just until combined. Remove from the mixer bowl and set aside. Wash the mixer bowl. Make the salad: Combine the greens, salt and pepper and extra virgin olive oil in the electric mixer bowl and paddle slowly. The greens will wilt after about one minute. Set aside. Pork Chops: Remove the pork chops from the bags and pat dry. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Shake flour on both sides to dry the surface, and coat with the egg white. With dry hands, press the herbs into both sides of the pork chops. Preheat the oven to 170 F/77 C. Heat the skillet to 250 F/121 C. Add 2 oz/50 ml vegetable oil and fry the pork chops on both sides until brown. Remove from pan and stage into the oven on a sheet pan. Wipe out the pan and add enough oil for the pan to be half full or 3"/90 mm deep, whichever is lesser. Heat the oil to 300 F/148 C. With moist hands, form the potato mixture into balls or ovals. Deep fry until crisp, drain on a paper towel, and stage into the oven on the sheet pan with the pork chops. Assembly:
Drizzle the salad with Balsamic vinegar and form a tight ball. Place just above the center of the plate. Place the fritters just to the left of the salad, and then shingle the pork chops from right to left on top.
Serve with ketchup on the side for the Tater Tots. 