We grow fennel bulbs on our farm, but the seeds are used as a spice in cooking. They are generally easy to find, and if your grocery store has a bulk spice section you can get just enough for this recipe at a very low price. This is a one pot recipe that is so easy to make, but looks much fancier! We’ve been really lucky to have great ingredients from local farms around. These pork chops come from Good Life Farm’s new CSA+, order anything and have it delivered to your neighborhood! These certified organic pasture raised pork chops were great with our parsnips.
The chops are crusted in the spices and garlic, then seared and finished in the oven with the parsnips. Cut the parsnips thin, and slice the larger pieces in half so that they cook quickly.
Sear the pork chops on high heat, then add the parsnips and onions to the pan. Finish everything in the oven, removing the chops before the parsnips if necessary. Serve warm with parsley.
Fennel Crusted Pork Chops with Parsnips
2 pasture raised pork chops (bone in, 1 inch thick)
1 large or 2 small parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon canola or other high heat oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450°F. Toast the fennel seeds in a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 2 or 3 minutes. Combine the fennel seeds, paprika, and garlic in a small bowl. Season the chops with salt and pepper, then coat with fennel mixture.
Heat the canola oil over high heat in the skillet. Sear the chops for 2 minutes, then flip over and add the parsnips and onions to the pan. Sear for an additional 2 minutes. Move the pork chops to the side and spread the parsnips in an even layer. Place the chops on top, bake for about 8 minutes until an instant read thermometer reaches 145°F. Cook the parsnips more if necessary. Let chops rest 10 minutes before cutting into. Toss the cooked parsnips with the vinegar and parsley. Serves 2 large portions or more if you thinly slice the pork chops and serve with the parsnips.
