Herby Pork Chops with Roast Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 pork loin chops (about 180g each)
• 2 tbsp garlic‑infused oil
• 30g fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 15g fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 20g butter
• 800g potatoes (Maris Piper or Charlotte), halved if large
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• Crusty sourdough bread, to serve
• Dressed green salad, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Toss the halved potatoes with the olive oil, smoked paprika and a pinch of sea salt — work the paprika into the oil first so it blooms against the hot potatoes and tastes of itself rather than dusty. Spread in a single layer on a baking tray (crowd them and they steam, not roast) and slide into the oven for 35–40 minutes, turning halfway.
2. While the potatoes roast, whisk the garlic-infused oil with the parsley, chives, lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. It should be bright green, loose and pourable — taste it: if it needs more lift, add another squeeze of lemon. Set aside so the herbs can soak into the oil.
3. Pat the pork chops dry with kitchen paper. Water means steam, and steam means no crust — this step is non-negotiable. Season both sides generously with sea salt and black pepper before they hit the pan.
4. Heat a large heavy frying pan over a high heat with the butter and a splash of the garlic-infused oil until the butter is foaming and just turning nutty-brown. Watch it — once the milk solids hit pale gold the smell shifts; any darker and it turns bitter.
5. Lay the chops in the pan with space around each one — cook them in two batches if your pan isn't big enough, because crowding drops the heat and you'll grey the meat instead of browning it. Sear for 3–4 minutes on the first side without moving them, building a deep mahogany crust.
6. Turn the chops and cook a further 3–4 minutes, tilting the pan and spooning the foaming butter over the top. Pull at 60°C internal — the temperature carries up to 63°C as they rest, which is just-done and still juicy. Lift onto a warm plate and rest for 5 minutes; cut too early and the juices run onto the board instead of through the meat.
7. Check the potatoes — a skewer should slide in with no resistance and the edges should be deep golden and crisp. Give them another 5 minutes if they need it; soft-edged roasties are a missed opportunity.
8. Taste the herb oil one more time and adjust the salt and lemon — this is your last chance to season, not at the table. Plate each chop alongside the potatoes, spoon the garlic-herb oil generously over the pork so it pools on the plate, scatter the thyme sprigs over the potatoes, and tuck a lemon wedge alongside for anyone who wants an extra squeeze over the crackling fat.