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Greg Engelhardt
Greg Engelhardt gives us a mix of his favorites from his many year's experience. His career began years before he would realize it was becoming a lifelong commitment. It was as an Atlanta dishwasher when he caught the bug for the kitchen/restaurant life, and at The Culinary Institute of America in 1998 that the several years of goofing off in the underbelly of the cooking world turned into a calculated set of career moves. He began working with Andre Rochat upon graduating from school. He has also worked in a myriad of Las Vegas kitchens, including Commander's Palace, Alain Ducasse's The Mix; Michael Mina's SeaBlue; Fiamma Trattoria; and at the Wynn Resort. But in 2006, Rochat enticed his protege back with an offer to serve as Chef de Cuisine of Rochat's flagship restaurant Andre's French Restaurant.
Rochat recently named Engelhardt executive chef of his new restaurant project scheduled to open in Fall of 2008 in the Monte Carlo. Here, Engelhardt will even further refine his classical training with Italian ingredients.
Blackened Pork Chop Over Spinach A La Romania and Sweet-and-Sour Apricot-Caper Sauce
By Greg Engelhardt
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 ounces butter
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup apricot jam, jelly or marmalade
- 1 Tablespoon capers
- 4 8-10-ounce center cut pork chops
- ½ cup Cajun blackening spice
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound spinach
- Coarse sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
INSTRUCTIONS:METHOD:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt the butter in a 2-quart sauce pot. Add the lemon juice and a teaspoon of water. Simmer for 1 minute. Add the apricot jam. Stir until well mixed. Add the capers.
Coat the pork chops in the Cajun spice. Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a large skillet to smoking. Cook the pork, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and finish in the oven, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon oil in the same skillet. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Add the raisins and pine nuts.
To serve, place the spinach on the center of each plate. Top with a pork chop and drizzle with the sauce.
Adapted by StarChefs.com
Yield: 4 Servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Round Out the Meal:
With oven roasted potatoes.
Kid Friendly:
This is kid friendly!
Wine Pairing:
A Zinfandel such as Ridge Vineyards from Santa Cruz.
