Pork Chops with Apples, Calvados and Mustard Sauce

Slash the back fat on the chops in several places to stop them curling as they cook.

Heat a sauté pan with the oil and drop in the butter. Add the apples and sugar and cook until tender and lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Dust the chops in flour, shaking off the excess. Cook them for 5 minutes each side over a medium heat. Add the calvados or brandy and allow it to bubble up and evaporate. Add the stock and simmer until reduced by half. Add the crème fraîche, mustard and the apples to the pan and simmer for another few minutes. Season and stir in the flat leaf parsley.

To serve: Place the pork chops and apples on warm plates and spoon over the sauce. Sautéed red cabbage and boiled waxy potatoes make a good accompaniment. 

Pantry Note: Calvados is an apple brandy from the French region of Lower Normandy.