Pork chops with cream and mushrooms courtesy of Delia. Ideal for a dinner party as it doesn't need last minute attention and it tastes great too! 8 large pork chops trimmed of any excess fat, 16oz. mushrooms, 7 fl. oz double cream, juice of a very large lemon, 2 tabs. plain flour, 2.5 teasps. chopped fresh thyme or 1.5 level teasps. dried thyme, 2.75 oz. butter, salt and freshly milled pepper.
Place a very large sheet of cooking foil in a roasting time. - large enough to wrap the chops in. In a frying pan brown the chops of both sides in butter and transfer them to the foil, season with salt, pepper and thyme. Chop the mushrooms roughly and fry in the same pan as the chops - add a little more butter if needed. Pour in the lemon juice, let bubble for a minute then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until you have an awful soggy-looking mushroom mixture. Spoon evenly over pork chops and spoon a little double cream over each one. Now wrap loosely in foil and seal very securely and bake for 1 hour at Gas 4, 350F or 180C. Serve the chops with the juices poured over them. As it is very rich some simple steamed veg. goes very well.
For starters: You can buy smoked salmon trimmings fairly cheaply. Just lay a few pieces on a few rocket leaves or similar, a squeeze of lemon juice and some mayonnaise coloured with a little tomato ketchup and finished with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Where's my invite??!!