Quick Mustard Pork Chops and Loving Nigella Lawson
You know when someone embodies all the things you like best about yourself and hope to be, only blown up, and larger-than-life? This person serves as beacon and idol, illustrating just what your potential, if fully realized, could look like. It is, I understand, the way young starlets often feel about Marilyn Monroe, and the way I feel about Nigella Lawson (and Mary Cantwell and MFK Fisher and oh, how the list goes on…).
Nigella Lawson is a lot like driving the winding road that leads to my parents’ farm in August when the foliage is dark green and lush, and the air is heavy with humidity. She is also like a winter pear so ripe the white flesh threatens to burst right through the skin. She is, I think, the word sumptuous embodied.
But her luscious earthiness doesn’t tell the full story of her appeal. I am a sucker for her seductive elocution and her silver dollar vocab words. I haven’t seen her show, but adore listening in when she’s a guest on NPR (that way, her dangerous curves don’t distract from me from her brainiac tendencies). Nigella is a blast of fresh air in part because she is sexy and clever, and our popular culture seems to have forgotten that this is not such a rare combination.
Nigella is also deeply refreshing because of her admitted laziness. I understand her love of pajamas, her fondness for eating ribs in bed and bowls of ground beef and cheese as comfort food. For all her accomplishments, Nigella still values leisure, and I’m not sure many people do any more.
I will freely admit to having little experience with Nigella’s recipes, despite having read four of her cookbooks cover to cover. But you don’t have to had made and loved her garlic and lemon chicken to treasure her ethos as much as her aesthetic. So many of the people whose lifestyles I admire — those who have somehow managed to integrate their passions with their livelihood — are long gone, but a few of them are around and kicking. And Nigella, of course, is right up there.
Mustard Pork Chops and Gnocchi
adapted from Nigella Express
Serves 2
2 pork chops, each about 6-8 ounces and 1/2 inch thick
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup pilsner-style beer
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoons butter
8 ounces frozen gnocchi
Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over moderately-high heat. Cook pork chops, about 2 minutes per side, until they’ve taken on a golden-brown char and are cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Deglaze the pork chop pan with the beer, scraping up any browned bits. Let bubble for about a minute, before stirring in butter and mustard. Pour most of the sauce over the two pork chops, leaving a little in the pan.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook gnocchi until it floats, about 2-3 minutes. Drain the gnocchi before scooting them through the remaining mustard sauce and serving with the pork chops, and an arugula salad, if you like green things as much as I do. A practically instant supper.
Faith: Sarah, I’m not sure if we’ve previously discussed our mutual love for the great Nigella but it was just this weekend that I was extolling her many virtues to my mom who was visiting. We were watching Nigella Express (as I love to do on Saturday mornings - it’s my adult cartoon) and I was flipping through her cookbook to show my mom all the reasons why I love Nigella so and want to be like her when I grow up.
Thanks for sharing your tale of Nigella worship too.2 years ago
Sarah: I didn’t know you also adored her, Faith. She’s totally tops in my book, too.2 years ago
Alicia Kachmar: It’s so interesting that you comment on the idea of “leisure” because I was just reading somewhere how American it is to NOT feel like one deserves leisure and downtime. To make a broad-sweeping generalization, more Europeans, whether they work hard or not, know they deserve it.
When you take a closer look at our advertising here, there are so many phrases like, “You deserve…”, “You worked hard for…”, “You’re worth it!,” etc. Why do we have to be convinced so often that we deserve that beer or hair dye? Ugh!2 years ago
Sarah: Really well said, Alicia. It seems like leisure is more intrinsic to European culture (just look at their vacation time!) than American. To continue the generalizing, I think Americans maybe compensate for our lack of downtime by overspending because we “deserve” things that we can’t afford, when maybe we just need some downtime and a glass of wine!2 years ago
Andrea: I have only tried one of Nigella’s recipes, but it is soooo good I end up making it almost once a week. It is called Chocohotopots and is like a gooey half-baked brownie in your own personal ramekin (I’m a sucker for anything that is made in individual pots/dishes). It is so easy and quick, and is quite possibly my favorite dessert of all time. The recipe is on foodnetwork.com. Mmmmm, now I’m in the mood for chocolate….2 years ago
Sara Rose: I love gnocchi.2 years ago
Deanne Varner: I actually watched Nigella today on TV for the first time. I was struck by her elegance, her vocabulary, and her impatience. She made a dessert which only required that she reach into her home freezer and retrieve four different flavors of some famous artisan sorbets, delicately scoop each into perfect parfait glasses, and then pour in bubbly prosecco. Great idea. Maybe just one flavor for me. Black currant looked amazing. This dessert would be a nice finish to your lovely meal. Hope you are well. Deanne (Amanda’s mom)2 years ago
ann: I so agree with you, Sarah. I loved this post, reminding me to revel in this weekend and be perfectly leisurely.2 years ago
Ruth: You describe Nigella perfectly, as she is the embodiment of seduction and wit. She is such a real woman!2 years ago
sUsAn: I adore Nigella. Your post about her was lovely.2 years ago
Heather: I, too, adore Nigella, and why does it feel like some sort of guilty pleasure?
Anyway, I’ve made that mustard pork chop dish several times, and I can’t get over how perfectly delicious it is. (I think the recipe calls for hard cider, which I love–the combination of apple and pork is so classic.) Yum.2 years ago
Sarah: So sorry that I am late in publishing and responding to your comments, everyone. Was having some internet slowness over the weekend, but we’re back in business!
Andrea, Nigella does seem to appreciate chocolate in a way I understand! She’s speaking my language with those chocopots.
Deanne! Hi! Yes, she is majorly impatient, which I think is a really funny (and relatable) foil to her love of “the good life.” I hope you are helping to keep Austin weird!
Ann, Ruth, and Susan, She IS such a real woman! Finally, a famous woman we can actually aspire to!
Heather, You know what’s so cool about Nigella, is that she doesn’t think it’s an indulgence. She thinks she is entitled to all of it: delicious food, silk pajamas, lazing around in bed, and I love that. We all deserve that — it’s not something we have to “earn.” And you are so right, the recipe calls for hard cider and cream, neither of which I never seem to have, so I just sub the beer and butter. But you are so right, that must be delish!2 years ago
Karen: Oh, my. Nigella makes me wish I could call my kids “darling” with such elegance and calm.
And, let’s not forget how she so “sumptuously” fills out the contours of her little sweaters.2 years ago
roohbaroo: hi,
yum yum. i wonder how this would turn out with lamp chops?2 years ago
Sarah: Delish, I bet. Maybe you could even sub red wine or balsamic vinegar for the beer in that case? Sounds like a fun experiment.2 years ago
Vanessa: Mmm, this looks so yummy! This shall be my dinner tonight. And yes, it seems women around the world all have a bit of a girl-crush on Nigella for her warmth and femininity.2 years ago
Natalie: Try this receipe with a cider instead of the beer, apples and pork are good friends!!! Instead of butter try 35% cream, and use a grainey mustard and this recipe can be even better. Total agreement that the plate must always have some sort of green. I have two nigella books so far and counting
2 years ago
Sarah: You basically just described to a tee Nigella’s original recipe, Natalie, which I’m sure is fab. But sometimes you just got to make stuff work with what’s on hand!2 years ago
Leah: I’ve been spending a lot of time reading rainy, moody London books to make it through the last few weeks (months?!) of winter weather. You’ve inspired me with this post to change course and pick up “Endangered Pleasures: In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences.” My weekend is set, thank you!2 years ago
Hilary Cloos: So, I admit, I’ve been lurking around, reading your blog for a long time. Now, I am shunted into the light—-this post completely delighted me, as I am on a spring time new food fast kick! And, at your recommendation, I hustled out and bought Nigella Express yesterday! What fun!
Love to you and Sebastian—2 years ago
Sarah: Oooh, Hilary, I hope you like it as much as I do!2 years ago
Audrey: I made this too when I saw it on her show. It was heavenly. I used the coarse ground mustard and it added a little extra interest. On her show she also suggested using hard cider, which I did. It was amazing.
2 years ago
rae: This sounds yummy and the idea of gnocchi scooting made me smile.2 years ago
Sara Rose: Know what would make this supper even more amazingo? Crumgled gorgonzola or goat cheese. Im just saying you know!2 years ago
miss tango: mmm…looks quite tasty! I never really enjoyed eating pork, except bacon, after all bacon is a fruit! These look so good, I think I shall make them tomorrow.2 years ago