Pork has an affinity with fruit sauces and here I have cooked it with herbs and served it with Juniper and Blackberry Sauce. You can substitute blueberries or blackcurrants if you wish.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon each chpped fresh parsley and fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoon each dried
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed to a paste
• 4 tablespoons each olive oil and white wine
• 2 old fashioned pork chops

Juniper and Blackberry Sauce

• 4-6 crushed juniper berries
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 cups blackberries
• pinch sugar, salt and pepper

Method

1. For the pork marinade, blend chopped herbs, garlic and olive oil and pour over chops in a non-metallic container. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan. Remove chops from the marinade, scraping off any excess. Slightly brown over a high heat. Transfer to a 220ºC oven for 15 minutes. Serve with Juniper and Blackberry Sauce.

Juniper and Blackberry Sauce

1. Place the juniper berries, stock and onion together in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Add the blackberries and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree and sieve if wished. Season with sugar, salt and pepper.

Cooks Tips

- Remove the bone from the chops and trim away any fat. Wrap in one rasher of steaky bacon and cook as above. - If you can't find juniper berries, use green peppercorns for this recipe. The flavour will not be the same, but the green peppercorns make a good substitute for this delicious fruit sauce.