Pork and apples go so well together but why not try another sweet, ripe, flavourful fruit; the pear.

Here the succulent pears are peeled, sliced and cooked until tender and warmed through so that their natural sugars start to caramelise. You can use any Port for this dish, it would be great to serve in the holidays when we might be enjoying after dinner Port and cheese.

Serves 4-6.

1 large onion, sliced

3 large conference pears, peeled cored and sliced

6 lean pork loin chops

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

150ml chicken stock

150ml port

1tbs Dijon mustard

2tsp dried sage

2tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Method

In a large lidded non-stick saucepan, add the sliced onions and cook for 5 minutes until they start to soften.

Add the pork loin chops and brown on both sides with will take about 5 minutes, remove the chops and onions from the pan, put them on a plate whilst you make the sauce.

Add the stock and port to the pan and bring to a gently boil, add the salt and pepper, dried sage, Dijon mustard and stir gently to combine, reduce the heat and cook gently for 5 minutes with the lid off the reduce the sauce.

Add the pork and onions back to the pan, add the pear slices and cook gently for 20 minutes until everything is cooked and tender.

Serve with a sprinkle of parsley to garnish

Enjoy with mashed potatoes and vegetables.