Karen Martini’s pork chops with sage, bagna cauda and a broad bean and nasturtium salad

Name: Karen Martini’s pork chops with sage, bagna cauda and a broad bean and nasturtium salad
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 1kg broad beans, podded (to yield about 500g loose beans); 1 garlic clove, chopped; ¾ cup frozen peas, thawed under hot water; ½ bunch mint, picked and roughly chopped; 4 x 300g mid-loin pork chops, skin removed, fat cut at 1cm intervals, at room temperature; 2 garlic cloves, skin on, smashed; 60g butter; ½ bunch sage, leaves picked; 2 handfuls nasturtium leaves and flowers; 1 lemon

Karen Martini

February 1, 2021

Pork chops with broad beans and bagna cauda (top left).William Meppem

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

Broad beans – those lanky plants with pods stuffed with knobbly beans – are one of my favourite vegetables. I love their vibrant freshness alongside peppery nasturtium and mint, which all work fantastically with a quality pork chop and the salty, garlicky richness of bagna cauda.

Ingredients

1kg broad beans, podded (to yield about 500g loose beans)
1 garlic clove, chopped
¾ cup frozen peas, thawed under hot water
½ bunch mint, picked and roughly chopped
4 x 300g mid-loin pork chops, skin removed, fat cut at 1cm intervals, at room temperature
2 garlic cloves, skin on, smashed
60g butter
½ bunch sage, leaves picked
2 handfuls nasturtium leaves and flowers
1 lemon

For the bagna cauda

7 anchovies, chopped
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
60g butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
15 grinds black pepper (or 6 freshly ground black peppercorns)
1 tbsp warm water

Method

Step 1
Blanch the broad beans for 3 minutes in simmering water. Lift out and immediately refresh in a bowl of cold or iced water.
Step 2
Double-pod the broad beans, keeping any tiny ones un-podded for garnish, as well as a small handful of podded ones. Chop the rest roughly.
Step 3
Add the chopped garlic clove, some salt and freshly ground black pepper and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil to a mortar and grind to a paste. Add the chopped broad beans, peas and mint and pound to a rough paste, adding a little oil to loosen if needed, but it should be on the stiff side. Season to taste.
Step 4
For the bagna cauda, add all the ingredients except the water to a small saucepan. Warm for 3 minutes over low heat to melt the anchovies and take the rawness off the garlic, then add the water.
Step 5
Season the chops and coat with oil. Heat a large frying pan over high heat for 2 minutes, then add the chops. Cook for 4 minutes, then flip and add the smashed garlic cloves and butter and cook for 6 minutes. With 2 minutes to go, add the sage. Plate the chops, spooning over the crisp sage.
Step 6
Spoon the bean and pea salad on each plate, scatter over the reserved broad beans, then top with small nasturtium leaves and flowers and a squeeze of lemon. Spoon some bagna cauda over the salad and chops and serve with remaining extra bagna cauda on the side.