Hazelnut Encrusted Pork Scaloppini with Pear Agrodolce and Fontina

Hazelnut Encrusted Pork Scaloppini with Pear Agrodolce and Fontina

by Chef Mark Dowers

Serves 2

You will need:

2-3 pears, firm, not overripe, peeled, cored and sliced or diced
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
¼ cup pear or apple cider vinegar
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, partially skinned, ground fine in food processor
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
½ cup buttermilk or milk
12 ounces boneless pork loin, cut into 4 pieces, flatted with meat mallet or hammer into scaloppini
¼ cup olive oil
¼ pound Italian fontina, grated
1 shallot, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons pear or apple cider vinegar
½ pound baby spinach, cleaned
salt and pepper to taste

Agrodolce:
In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, add sugar and vinegar, bring to a full boil. Add pears, cook until liquids have evaporated, become syrupy, and pears are cooked through. Set aside. (This can be made ahead and stored up to one week refrigerated.)

Pork:
Set oven on broil. Combine ground hazelnuts and flour and spread out on a sheet pan. In a bowl, add milk and pork to coat. Remove and season each side with salt and pepper, then dredge in nut mixture, set aside. In a large sauté pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil and fry scaloppini approximately 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Make sure not to burn the crust. Place scaloppini on a baking sheet. Top with pears and fontina, place under the broiler. Then in the same sauté pan add shallots and sauté with pan drippings until soft. Add vinegar and spinach, toss until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place the spinach evenly on 4 plates, remove pork from the broiler and place over spinach.

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