1. To make a marinade: Mix the verjuice,
vermouth and two tablespoons of the olive oil in a bowl. Lay the
chops on a shallow tray, pour over the marinade and cover
tightly. Leave to marinate at room temperature 1 to 2 hours.
2. To cook the beans: Bring a pan of salted
water to a boil. Add the beans and simmer, uncovered, until just
tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain them, refresh with cold water and
leave to drain. Nip the end of each bean with your thumbnail and
pinch the skins – the meat inside will pop out.
3. To finish: Drain the chops, reserving the
marinade and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the
remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan, add the
chops and fry them over fairly high heat until browned, then
turn and brown the other side. Allow about 4 minutes each side
for lightly cooked veal and 5 minutes if you prefer it well
done. Test by poking near the bone with the point of a knife to
see the color of the meat. Transfer them to a platter to keep
warm. If necessary, fry the chops in two batches.
4. To make a sauce: Discard fat from the pan,
add the shallots and sauté until soft, 1 minute. Add the
reserved marinade and simmer 1 minute over medium heat, stirring
to dissolve the pan juices and reduce the liquid to a glaze.
Chop the leaves from 2-3 savory or thyme sprigs and set aside.
Add the remaining sprigs, stock, salt and pepper, 1/4 of the
lima beans, and any juice that the chops have released to the
pan. Simmer this sauce until thickened and somewhat reduced, 3
to 5 minutes. Discard the herb sprigs, pour the sauce into a
tall container and purée it with an immersion blender, or use a
regular blender. Strain the sauce into a small saucepan and add
the remaining beans and the herb leaves. Reheat it, taste and
adjust the seasoning. Spoon the sauce and beans onto warm plates
and set the chops on top.
Quick Fix
Use frozen limas, boiling them just a few moments before peeling
them.
What Wine
To Cook: Verjuice, with its tart fruity taste was the
forerunner of lemon juice before citrus fruits were brought to
Europe. You can make it at home or buy it from a wine shop or
specialty store. A quick substitute is to mix equal amounts of
cider vinegar and white wine. For the vermouth, a dry white is
best.
To Drink: My suggestion for this dish would be a white
wine - perhaps something a little less conventional than
chardonnay or sauvignon blanc. A medium dry chenin blanc from
France's Loire valley would do nicely. South Africa, Chile and
California have large plantings of chenin blanc but so far none
rival what France has to offer.
This Recipe of the Month
selection comes from Anne Willan's newest release: Anne
Willan Cooking With Wine (2001) published by Harry N.
Abrams, Inc. in association with COPIA: American Center for
Wine, Food, and the Arts.
