CRUNCHY BAKED PORK CHOPS
Serves 4.
Note: Skip the brining if you're using pork that has been injected with a salt solution. From "The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook."
• Table salt (see Note)
• 4 (6 to 8-oz.) boneless center-cut or loin pork chops, 3/4 to 1 in. thick, trimmed of excess fat
• 4 slices high-quality white sandwich bread, torn into 1-in. pieces
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tbsp.)
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tbsp.)
• Ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 c. plus 6 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 large egg whites
• 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
Adjust an oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 4 cups cold water in medium bowl or gallon-sized zip-top bag. Submerge chops in brine, cover container with plastic wrap or seal bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove chops from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor to make coarse crumbs, about 8 pulses (you should have about 31/2 cups crumbs). Transfer crumbs to a rimmed baking sheet, add oil, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, parsley and thyme.
Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In a second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard together; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining.
Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray a wire rack with vegetable oil spray and place over a rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread-crumb mixture, pressing gently so that a thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.
Bake until center of chops registers 140 to 145 degrees, about 20 minutes. Let rest on rack for 5 minutes; serve with lemon wedges.
ºRiffian Split Pea Soup With Paprika Oil
Serves 4.
Note: Dried goat cheese is available online at www. igourmet.com. From "The Food of Morocco," by Paula Wolfert.
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 c. chopped onion
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 c. (8 oz.) dried split green peas
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp. ground cumin (Wolfert suggests Moroccan)
• 11/2 tsp. sweet paprika, divided
• A few drops of lemon juice
• 1/2 c. crumbled dried aged goat cheese (see Note)
• 1/3 c. heavy cream
• Cayenne
Directions
Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, onion, salt and pepper to taste in a deep saucepan and set over medium heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until onions are golden and softened.
Add split peas, garlic, cilantro, cumin and 1 teaspoon paprika, and cook, stirring, for a minute. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat to cool slightly. Purée soup in batches in blender. Add cheese and cream to last batch of soup and purée until velvety. Return to saucepan; thin soup to desired consistency, and correct seasoning with salt and a few drops lemon juice.
Reheat soup to boiling. Divide soup into 4 individual bowls.
In small bowl, mix remaining tablespoon olive oil with remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika and pinch of cayenne, and dribble over each portion.
ANCHO CHILE-CINNAMON CHOCOLATE BARK
Makes a lot.
Note: Ancho chiles are dried; when fresh they are called poblano. For best results, use good-quality chocolate. From "The Food52 Cookbook," by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs.
• 1 large ancho chile (see Note)
• 1 whole star anise
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 (2-in.) cinnamon stick
• 2/3 c. shelled pistachio nuts
• 2/3 c. cashews, very lightly crushed
• 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces, divided
• 1/2 c. dried cherries
• Kosher salt or sea salt
Directions
To make spice mix, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread chile, star anise, peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon stick on a baking sheet and place in oven. Toast until fragrant, about 10 minutes.
Remove stems and majority of seeds from the toasted ancho. Place ancho and the rest of spices in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and pulverize. You may need to grind the spices in batches.
Toast pistachios and cashews on baking sheet in the oven. Check after 10 minutes. When they're nicely toasted, remove from oven and let cool.
Place three-fourths of chocolate in a bowl and slowly melt it, either in microwave, checking and stirring every 25 seconds, or over a double boiler on the stove.
When chocolate is melted, take it off the heat and add the remaining chocolate. Stir until it is completely melted. Add 1 teaspoon of spice mix to chocolate and taste; add more if you want it to be spicier.
Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Spread the nuts and cherries close together in a single layer. Reserve a few nuts to decorate the top. Sprinkle the salt over the nuts and cherries.
Slowly pour the chocolate onto the pan, covering the nuts and cherries in an even layer. Add any remaining nuts to the top of the chocolate and press them into the chocolate.
Cool the bark in the refrigerator for 45 minutes. Break into pieces and keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
