PORK CHOPS WITH BAYLEAVES AND LEMON SAUCE

⏲ Prep time ⏲ Cooking time Difficulty level Portions

10 min 25 min ★☆☆☆☆ 6

Ingredients

Pork & aromatics

•             Pork chops (bone‑in or thick boneless) — 1,200 g (6 × 200 g)

•             Olive oil — 40 g

•             Garlic cloves, lightly crushed — 20 g

•             Bay leaves — 6 g (6 medium leaves)

•             Fine salt — 12 g

•             Black pepper — 3 g

•             Dried oregano (optional) — 1 g

Lemon sauce

•             Unsalted butter — 60 g

•             Lemon zest — 4 g

•             Lemon juice — 40 g

•             Chicken stock — 250 g

•             White wine — 60 g (optional but excellent)

•             Honey or sugar — 6 g (balances acidity)

•             Fresh parsley, chopped — 8 g

Cooking instructions

1. Season and sear

• Pat pork chops dry and season with salt, pepper, and oregano.

• Heat olive oil in a wide pan.

•   Add garlic cloves and bay leaves; warm them for 30 seconds to perfume the oil.

• Sear pork chops 3–4 minutes per side until golden.

• Remove chops and keep warm.

2. Build the lemon sauce

• In the same pan, add white wine and reduce by half.

•   Add chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, and honey.

• Simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.

• Whisk in butter off the heat to emulsify.

3. Finish

• Return pork chops to the pan.

• Simmer gently 3–4 minutes to finish cooking and coat with sauce.

• Scatter with parsley before serving.

Chef ’s Notes

•             Bay leaves matter: fresh or soft, pliable dried leaves give a sweeter, more floral aroma.

•             Don’t over-reduce the sauce before adding butter — it should stay glossy and spoonable.

•             Use bone‑in chops for better flavour and moisture retention.

•             Add capers (10–15 g) for a sharper, brinier finish.

•             Serve with roasted potatoes, rice pilaf, or wilted greens to soak up the sauce.

•             Rest the chops 3–5 minutes before serving so the juices settle.