Ivan Tisdall-Downes, Executive Chef and Creative Director of Native, has carefully curated a delicious new dish, encapsulating the very best of Worcestershire that can be recreated at home or enjoyed at the stunning rural restaurant.

This Worcestershire dish has been created to celebrate all the produce that the county has to offer as part of the 2024 Taste of Worcestershire campaign, running from 7 th -27 th October. Key elements of the dish include locally sourced ingredients from the Taste Worcestershire foodie heroes; award winning piquette from Astley Vineyard, acclaimed herbs grown at Westlands, and salt from well-known local producer, Droitwich Salt. 

Ivan has purposely created a dish that is simple enough to recreate at home, with an ingredients list that can be purchased at a local supermarket or farm shop. For those who aren’t keen to try it for themselves, you can enjoy the dish created by the chef himself at Native, available to order from the main menu during the duration of the Taste Worcestershire campaign (7 th -27 th October). The beautiful farm to table restaurant within the Netherwood Estate is located on the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border. 

“I have recently moved to the county, and I am pleasantly surprised to see what Worcestershire has to offer in terms of food and drink. The local sourced quality ingredients that I’ve used in the new Worcestershire dish are from suppliers that I regularly work with and use here at Native. I have tried to design a simple dish that can be recreated at home with ingredients that can be easily sourced. I hope people enjoy making this as much as I did, and if not, they can always come and try out my version at the restaurant over the next few weeks!” commented Ivan Tisdall-Downes, Executive Chef and Creative Director of Native.

Pan Roasted Pork with Westlands Samphire & Wild Mushroom St. Vincent Sauce full ingredients list and method for cooking:

Serves 4

• 4 Rare Breed Pork Chops
• 200g of Droitwich Salt
• 15g of fennel blossom (or fennel seeds)
• 2 sprigs of parsley
• 30g of butter
• 1 Bottle of Astley Vineyard St Vincent (Piquette)
• 250g of mixed wild of exotic mushroom (cut into mouthful chunks or slices)
• 300g diced onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 bay leaves
• 250ml double cream
• 50g of mustard (english or dijon)
• 1 tablespoons or honey
• Westlands Mushroom Leaf x 1 punnet
• Westland Samphire x 1 punnet
• Salt and Pepper
• 75g of Butter
• Westlands Edible Alliums

To Prepare the Pork:

1. Blend the Droitwich salt, fennel & 2 sprigs of parsley together.
2. Rub all over the chops and leave to cure for at least 30 minutes.
3. Gently rinse off the cure and pat the chops dry (remove any skin from the fat layer if desired), and set aside.
4. Place an oven proof frying pan on medium heat. Oil the pan and caramelise the chops on all sides.
5. Next add the butter to the pan and place in a 180c oven for 6-10 minutes depending on thickness.
6. The chops will be ready when they start to fill firm to touch. (Place the tip of your thumb and 3rd finger together and then touch the fleshy base of your thumb, this is how your chop should feel!)
7. Place the chops on a plate or baking tray and pour over all the juices and butter and allow to rest until the sauce is prepared.

To Prepare the Sauce:

1. While the pork is cooking, heat the butter and sweat the diced onions, mushrooms & garlic with a pinch of salt.
2. When tender and beginning to caramelise add the St Vincent to the pan and allow to reduce by half.
3. Stir the mustard and honey and simmer for 2 minutes before adding the cream & bay leaf. Allow to reduce on a low heat until thickened for around 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Remove the bay leaf and add the samphire to the pan.
5. Finely chop 8 mushroom leaves and stir through the sauce before plating.

To Serve:

1. Spoon the sauce onto individual plates.
2. Carve the chops as required and lay on the mushroom & Samphire sauce. Season with the fennel and Droitwich salt.
3. Garnish with Westland edible alliums.