Crispy Pork Escalope with a Warm Salad of Haricot, Green Beans, Shaved Fennel & Mustard

Hot weather at the pub brings the crowds and we are always looking for simple, interesting dishes that you want to eat when the mercury goes north. The combination of warm beans, crunchy raw shaved fennel and a mustardy vinaigrette to compliment the pork work extremely well together. You will have to excuse the poor photography, I took this on my IPhone in the middle of service! For two

Ingredients:

Dried haricot beans - 100g

Banana shallot - 1 large one, peeled

Garlic - 1 fat clove

Olive Oil - 50ml

Red wine vinegar - 2 tbsp

Dijon Mustard - 1 heaped tsp

Woody herbs such as rosemary, thyme and bay - a few sprigs of each

Vegetable bouillion powder - 2 tsp

Wholegrain mustard - 2 heaped tsp

Fennel - 1 bulb

Green beans - a handful

Boneless pork loin chops - 2x180 gram after trimming

Plain Flour

Breadcrumbs

2 eggs - beaten

Oil for frying

Method:

Soak the haricot beans overnight. The next day and in fresh water bring the beans to the simmer. Add the herbs and vegetable bouillion but not salt as this hardens the beans skin. Cook until tender but not turning to mush (maybe 30 mins). 

While the haricot are cooking, crack on with the rest of the prep. Trim the pork chops of most of the fat, then slice through the middle to result in two thinner chops. Dip each pork chop into flour, egg then breadcrumbs and set aside.

Trim the fennel base and remove any outer layers that are not pristine. Shave the fennel on a mandoline as thin as you can get it. Drop the fennel into iced cold water with the juice of a lemon added to stop the fennel discolouring. 

To make the vinaigrette, blitz the garlic, shallot, vinegar and mustards with some salt and pepper. With the blades of the food processor running, drizzle in the oil until you have a thick emulsified dressing. Taste and add more seasoning, mustard or vinegar if you think it needs it - it is difficult to tell how potent your mustards or vinegar will be.

When the beans are cooked, drain and remove the herb stalks. Gently mix the beans with the vinaigrette while still hot - they will then soak up all that flavour. Blanch your green beans. Pan fry the pork fillets in 1cm of oil until golden and crispy - drain and season. Toss the green beans and drained raw fennel into the mustardy haricot. Check for seasoning and serve.