Sunday Supper: Bone-In Porkchops with Spicy Apple Chutney and Homemade Spaetzle

Saturday nights in our house are always fantastic. We usually have some friends over to share a few laughs, a plate of something extraordinary and of course great wine. This week the mission was to buy two or three bottles of wine and blind taste them before dinner.  We enjoyed three different cheeses and a charcuterie plate with house cured olives and freshly baked bread while we expanded our palates with a few new wine varietals.

There was an impromptu course as well after trying the second varietal. B had picked up a few gems at the Rockridge Marketplace including a duck Crepinette.  He took the fresh bread, fried it in bacon grease until it was perfectly crisp and full flavor then topped each piece with a sliver of pan seared medium rare duck crepenette.  It was finished with a drizzle of bacon infused sweet Madeira glaze. It was unbelievable and could rival any menu. I wish that the picture did it justice.

I have never had spaetzle before last night. I have seen it on menus but have never tried it. It is a German dish that is similar to a dumpling in texture and taste but also like pasta. That is a loose interpretation but my opinion none the less. It's kind of plain looking so you may want to sprinkle with parsley for color.

What you need
Get yourself some serious bone-in pork chops that are thick and well marbled. Pork fat is your friend here so use it well.

For the Spaetzle
1 cup of flour
1/4 c milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 t. nutmeg
pinch of pepper
2 eggs
4 cups chicken stock
2 T. butter to saute in
For the Chutney
3 green apples
1/2 red onion
1/2 golden raisins
1/2 stick of butter
2 cups of apple cider
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T apple cider vinegar
a pinch of garlic powder
a pinch of onion powder
a pinch of salt
a pinch of cayenne and red pepper flakes
1 T. honey optional adding honey can balance out the heat if it gets too spicy

What to do
Start by making your chutney first. A good chutney takes an hour to two hours to make. Time is crucial or your chutney will be thin and disconnected. You are going for a thick, chunky chutney. Peel the apples and cube them evenly. Dice your onion. Add butter, apples, onions and raisins to a pot and saute over medium high heat for 20 minutes, until aromatic. Add the vinegar, cider, brown sugar and spice. Continue to cook over medium high heat until boiling and reduce heat to low heat and allow to cook for an hour or two.

***SUGAR TIP: You can add cinnamon or clove or any other spices that you may like. Have fun with it. This is a great base for any apple chutney. 

While the chutney is simmering, begin preparing the spaetzle. The spaetzle can be made ahead of time and finished off just before serving. On the stove top, bring your chicken stock to a boil over medium high heat. Meanwhile, sift flour salt, and pepper into a dish. Add the nutmeg. In a second dish, beat eggs well and mix with the milk. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until it is smooth and consistent but be careful to not over mix. Add the batter to a piping bag and pipe into the boiling chicken stock in small batches in a circular motion. Allow to cook for 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and drain well. Refrigerate until later.

Season your chops with salt and pepper. Pan sear on medium-high heat for 4 minutes on each side and then finish off in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven, place on chopping block and allow to rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, in a saute pan, add two tablespoons of butter. Melt over medium high heat and add the spaetzle and saute until hot. Serve with a German Riesling, preferably a Kabinett.