Pork and shallot casserole with sage and mushrooms
Pork and shallot casserole with sage and mushrooms. There’s something homely about the word ‘casserole’. Rolling lazily off the tongue, encouraging an informality that permits elbows on the table, bowl mopping and casual end of day banter. It’s also the kind of dish that welcomes new neighbours to the street and fortifies the poor in spirit. Good food isn’t reserved only for weekends.
Although there are a couple of bold characters in this casserole, they all work intuitively together to deliver a well balanced sauce. I’ve used Dijon and wholegrain mustard, each lending it’s own type of heat. Wholegrain is gentler, hardly hot at all, while Dijon mustard is more punch. Sage is my herb of choice for pork and mushrooms. Shallots aren’t always available, in which case, brown onions will do.
To finish, I added a splash of Morgenster lemon enhanced extra virgin olive oil. With a citrusy spike, it off-sets the richness of the pork and adds dimensional flavour. Great food is the marriage of textures, tastes and aromas all working harmoniously together.
For more delicious midweek supper inspiration, this Chicken and leek casserole ticks all the boxes. There’s good reason why it’s the most viewed recipe on the blog. For wine pairings that partner well with pork, read Michael Olivier’s recommendation for the perfect bottle of white.
Pork and shallot casserole with sage and mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 400g pork fillet (loin)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 shallots, peeled and quartered
- 1 clove garlic
- 250g button mushrooms, halved or sliced
- 60g dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms
- 1 cup boiling water
- about 6-8 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
- 60ml (1/4 cup) sherry or Marsala wine
- 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
- 60ml (1/4 cup) reserved mushroom soaking water
- 1/2 cup vegetable or weak chicken stock
- a spritz of fresh lemon juice
- 250ml (1 cup) cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide based pan. Brush the Dijon mustard evenly over the pork fillet. Season with salt and black pepper. Place in the hot oil and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Place the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and cover with the boiling water. Set aside to rehydrate and plump up. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and sauté the shallots for around 8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two.
- Add the butter to the shallots. Drain the shiitake mushrooms, retaining 60ml of the soaking water. Add the fresh button mushrooms and the shiitake mushrooms to the shallots and cook on a high heat until all the water has evaporated. Season with salt and add the sage. Deglaze the pan with the Marsala wine and reduce by half. Stir through the wholegrain mustard and pour in the reserved 1/4 cup soaking water, stock, lemon juice and cream. Return the pork fillet to the pan. Spoon some of the sauce and mushrooms over the pork fillet. This will prevent the meat from drying out while cooking.
- Cover partially with a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes. I usually turn the fillet over once during the cooking time to ensure even cooking. The sauce should be reduced and slightly thicker than pouring cream. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Remove the fillet from the pan and slice into 1 cm thick slices. Place the sliced pork back into the sauce, cover with the sauce and reheat slowly until warmed through.
- To finish, drizzle with lemon infused extra virgin olive oil and serve with cauliflower mash or fresh tagliatelle.
11 Comments. Leave new
Sounds lovely!
Thanks Cassandra. It’s surprisingly easy but completely delicious.
This was divine and so quick to make! The family loved it. We also love the Morgenster lemon infused olive oil and the addition of it in the end is super yum!! Delicious! Thanks for the great recipes
I’m loving that lemon oil! It’s also really good drizzled over salads or a creamy risotto.
This is delish!! I’ve made it once & my husband has made it once. We use whatever white wine we have on hand & leave out the lemon. Served with mashed potatoes & it’s a hit in our home! Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear it’s becoming a regular at your table. Mash potatoes are the perfect side with the rich sauce. I’m going to have to make it again soon as the weather starts to cool. Thanks for stopping by Rachel.
Brilliant dish, but what happened to the garlic? Does not appear in the instructions?
Hello Rolf. That one slipped by, sorry. I’ve amended the recipe. The garlic is added to the shallots and cooked for a minute or two, before adding the butter and mushrooms. Thanks for the heads up!
could you use fresh mushrooms as opposed to the dried?
Hi Monica. Sure you can. The dried mushrooms will lend a deep umami flavour, but fresh will be good too, if you can’t find the dried porcini.