Empty Nest?....Time to treat yourself!.......Braised Pork with Cider

September is an odd time of year. We see the growing season come to fruition as summer declines and autumn beckons with the promise of crisp frosty mornings and Indian summer sunshine, bushels of apples fall to the ground, plump and juicy blackberries hang pendulous from the hedgerows, and the first of those hardy root vegetables, sturdy enough to see us through the long winter, are beginning to peep their heads above the soil in the poly-tunnel.

It is also a time for new beginnings as many of us, myself included, see our own 'produce' off to their first year in college or university...some of them many hours from home or even to another country.

My own youngest has set off to fulfil their dreams in the equine world, but I still have one at home who is beginning their second year in college nearby so I'm not quite at the complete empty nest stage entirely, but many of my peers are.

The young flying the nest for the first time can come as a shock. For the last 18 or 19 years, our lives have revolved around the needs and wants of our offspring......so what will we do now we don't have their laundry to pick up off the floor?.... no late nights spent lying awake waiting for them to pop their head around the door at 2 o'clock in the morning saying 'I'm in now'...... no more pleads of...'can you just take me to?'........but rather than feeling lonely and dejected, we should grasp and embrace our new found freedoms with enthusiasm, because after all, we did have lives before we had our children!


Now that you have some spare time in the evenings or even at the weekends, get yourself out of the house and enjoy yourself..... meet the girls...or the fellas!... enjoy a movie...any movie you want, meet friends for coffee, join a walking club, take up theatrics, join a bridge club, learn a new instrument....whatever takes your fancy, because my dears you may have raised your children but you are not in your grave yet! and with luck you won't be for many fun filled years to come!.....and remember you are never too old to do or try out something new!

Now that you are left to your own devices you are also free to cook whatever you like, whenever you like with no one to say....'no I don't like that' or 'can we not have'.......so WHOOPEEE! get the pans at the ready!

This little dish is easy to knock together as in... just leave it alone and let it cook.... while you go off and do something fun!....and it's totally scrumptious too. With the addition of your favourite cider, it's also a little bit of adult naughty, so go on, enjoy yourself

A dish in this style would be classically made with milk fed veal, but as that is politically incorrect, although some countries still partake in such cruelty, for now we will use loin of pork which gives exactly the same results.

So for this Blanquette de Porc which is basically a fancy pork casserole, you will need.....

feeds 2 people by the way.....

2 thinly sliced pork loin steaks per person (no bone)
100 g chestnut mushrooms
100 g shallots
200 g carrots
100 g garden peas...fresh or frozen...just remember frozen will take slightly longer to cook
1 small can of cider (500mls)  or if you're not into cider try using a fizzy apple drink such as 'appeltiser'
150 - 200 mls cream
knob of butter
olive oil...not extra virgin
sea salt, black pepper

How to......

• peel the shallots, leave them as whole as you can
• peel and cut the carrots into nice lengths, leave them nice and chunky 
• clean and slice the mushrooms
• if using frozen peas, take them out of the freezer and let them defrost a little while you are doing everything else
• heat a frying pan or your casserole dish...I like to use my cast iron casserole sauteuse for this as I can brown things in it...save on the dishes!.... add a little olive oil and brown each pork loin steak on both sides, remove from the pan and set aside
• add a little extra oil to the pan if you think you need it, add the carrots and shallots and brown lightly then remove from the pan
• add the mushrooms and fry lightly, let them brown a little, remove from the pan and add to the carrots etc.
• now add the ciderto the pan and bring to the boil...this will help lift all the lovely sediment which is full of flavour, off the bottom of the pan
• add the meat back into the pan then place the vegetables on top
• cover the casserole with a tight lid, turn the heat to medium and let everything cook away gently in it's own delicious juices
• when the meat is tender, turn the heat up high, add the peas and let them cook while the liquid is reducing
• when the liquid has reduced by a good half, pour in the cream, bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper and cook until the sauce begins to thicken
• whisk in the knob of butter and serve immediately 

Enjoy this dish all on its own as a 'keto' style meal or serve with rice, boiled potatoes or even some chunks of crusty bread if that's your thing.......and maybe another glass of cider to wash it down with....after all there's no school run in the morning!