Golden Pork Chops with Roasted Fruit and Potatoes

This one came out of the idea that a pork chop is often better when it has company. Pork and apple have been paired in British and northern European kitchens for a very long time, and it makes sense: the fruit's sharpness cuts through the richness of the meat, and the juices from the pan turn into a sauce without much fuss. Here the chops get a quick fry first, then they bake in the same dish with the apple, pear, new potatoes and onion, so there is only one thing to wash up at the end.

A little food fact worth knowing: pears and apples both soften quickly in a hot oven but hold their shape better than you might expect, especially when they are cut into fairly large quarters as they are here. Leave the skins on. They help the wedges keep their form and they add a bit of colour to the tray. The new potatoes do the same job for the starch side of the meal, soaking up the orange and mustard as they go.

A few cooking notes from my own kitchen. Pat the chops dry before they go in the frying pan, otherwise they steam instead of browning. When you take off the foil for the second bake, give everything a proper stir so the sauce coats the potatoes and the fruit gets some colour on the cut faces. If the sauce looks thin, leave the dish uncovered for the last five minutes rather than adding more liquid. The crème fraiche goes in right at the end, off the heat, so it stays glossy and does not split.

For leftovers, let the tray cool, then store the meat and vegetables in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat until piping hot all the way through. The pork is lovely cold, sliced thinly over leaves with a spoonful of the pan juices. Pork pairs nicely with something sharp and crunchy on the side. A dish of red cabbage cooked with bacon and apple would echo the fruit beautifully, and a simple sprout salad with a fruit and curd dressing adds freshness without weighing the plate down.

If you have an apple or two left over after the bake, they make a good dessert with very little effort. A warm spiced orchard fruit crumble uses the same fruit family and is a comforting way to finish. Sometimes the best meals are the ones where the oven does the thinking and you get to sit down and enjoy the result.