Home Cooked. Donal Skehan

      Sweet maple syrup, tangy vinegar and salty soy sauce with a kick of freshness from coriander really make for an extra special pork chop in this recipe. I particularly love serving them with griddled Baby Gem lettuce (a trick I picked up in America), which turns this humble salad green into something smoky, meaty and fresh.

      SERVES 4

      1 tbsp butter

      1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for brushing

      4 large pork loin chops on the bone, 2.5cm thick

      Sea salt and ground black pepper

      1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced

      1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

      4 tbsp maple syrup

      1 tbsp light soy sauce

      4 tbsp apple juice

      4 Baby Gem lettuce, cut in half lengthways

      Large handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra to garnish

      5 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced, to garnish

      Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5.

      Melt the butter with the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over a high heat. Pat the pork chops dry with a little kitchen paper and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Add the chops to the pan and brown on both sides.

      When the meat has a good colour, add the onion and fry for about 30 seconds. Then pour in the vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce and apple juice and heat until the sauce is bubbling. Baste the meat well with the sauce and then place the pan in the oven on the middle shelf and cook for 10 minutes.

      While the pork chops are cooking, place a large griddle pan over a high heat and brush the lettuce halves all over with a little of the oil, and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Place the lettuce halves onto the griddle and cook for about 2 minutes on either side until they have nice deep char marks but still hold their shape. Remove from the heat and set aside.

      When the chops are cooked, transfer to a warmed plate and reduce the sauce over a medium heat for a few minutes until slightly thickened. Add the coriander and stir through, then add the chops and the Baby Gem and coat generously in the sauce.

      Serve the chops on warmed plates with the charred Baby Gem and scatter with spring onions and a little extra coriander.

      CHILLI & LEMONGRASS CHICKEN

      This is a wonderfully fragrant dish that is very easy to prepare. I use chicken thighs here as they have more flavour, but you can easily use chicken breasts instead. The paste made for the sauce can also be used with beef or pork.

      SERVES 2

      2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped

      1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

      2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

      1 tbsp Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)

      350g chicken thigh meat, cut into bite-sized chunks

      1 tbsp sunflower oil

      1 tbsp curry powder

      100ml chicken stock

      1 tbsp caster sugar

      Small handful of mint, basil and coriander leaves, to garnish

      In a bowl, combine the lemongrass, chilli, garlic and fish sauce. Place the chicken meat into another bowl and add half the lemongrass mix, reserving the rest. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 20 minutes.

      Heat the oil in a wok or a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the reserved lemongrass mixture, then add the curry powder

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