Make-ahead pork, pear and sherry casserole

Make-ahead pork, pear and sherry casserole

A warming one pot recipe to combat cold winter evenings, try this slow-cooked pork, pear and sherry casserole for a proper dose of comfort food – you won’t regret it. Casseroles don’t come much finer.

Make-ahead pork, pear and sherry casserole

If you like this, you’ll love our Dorset pork and cider casserole recipe.

  • Serves icon Serves 6
  • Time icon Hands-on time 30 min, simmering time 2 hours 45 min

A warming one pot recipe to combat cold winter evenings, try this slow-cooked pork, pear and sherry casserole for a proper dose of comfort food – you won’t regret it. Casseroles don’t come much finer.

If you like this, you’ll love our Dorset pork and cider casserole recipe.

Nutrition: For 6

Calories
479kcals
Fat
13.3g (4g saturated)
Protein
62.5g
Carbohydrates
19.1g (9.4g sugars)
Fibre
5.4g
Salt
0.8g

Ingredients

  • 40g dried porcini mushrooms
  • Olive oil for frying
  • 1.5kg British free-range pork shoulder, cut into 5cm chunks
  • 250g mixed wild mushrooms, torn or sliced
  • 2 pears, cored and cut into thin wedges
  • 300g baby shallots, peeled and trimmed
  • 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced
  • 500ml chicken stock, hot
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 125ml dry sherry, plus a splash
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • Small handful fresh tarragon, chopped
  • 3 tbsp breadcrumbs, toasted in a dry pan – or use a 25g pack flavoured breadcrumbs (optional)

You’ll also need…

  • Heavy-based casserole with lid
Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½. Put the dried porcini in a heatproof bowl, pour over 250ml freshly boiled water, then set aside
  2. Heat a splash of oil in a large heavy-based casserole and brown the pork chunks, a few at a time. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon and repeat until all the pork has been browned.
  3. Add the fresh mushrooms to the casserole, then fry for 4-5 minutes until just softening and golden on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the pear wedges and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden, then put on the plate with the fried mushrooms.
  4. Put the shallots and leeks in the casserole and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and golden. Transfer to the bowl with the pork. Keep the casserole to hand.
  5. Put the hot stock in a jug if it isn’t already, set a sieve over the jug, then strain in the mushroom liquid (discard any grit left in the sieve). Set aside the rehydrated mushrooms.
  6. Stir the flour into the fat in the casserole (or add a splash of oil if the pan is a little dry) and cook until smelling toasty, then pour in the sherry and mix to make a paste, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavour; cook for about 2 minutes.
  7. Gradually stir in the stock to make a smooth sauce, season generously with salt and pepper, then stir in the rehydrated mushrooms, pork, shallots, leeks and any resting juices. Bring up to a simmer, cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours or until the pork is tender (see tip).
  8. Add most of the fried mushrooms and pear wedges to the casserole and return the pot to the oven, uncovered, for 15-30 minutes to thicken the sauce. To serve, stir in the mustard and a splash more sherry, top with the reserved pear slices and mushrooms, and sprinkle with the tarragon, breadcrumbs (if using) and a good grind of black pepper (see Make Ahead). This casserole tastes great with creamy mashed potatoes.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
479kcals
Fat
13.3g (4g saturated)
Protein
62.5g
Carbohydrates
19.1g (9.4g sugars)
Fibre
5.4g
Salt
0.8g

delicious. tips

  1. If you’re short of oven space, cook this casserole on the hob, giving it a stir every so often to prevent it catching on the base of the pan.

  2. To freeze, cool, then put in an airtight container (freeze in batches if you want to). Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat until piping hot.

  3. A soft burgundy, such as a mâcon-vilages.

Buy ingredients online

Subscribe

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Rate & review

Rate

Reviews

Share a tip

Or, how about...?

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Creamy pork recipes

Dorset pork and cider casserole with mustard and sage

This slow-cooking pork casserole recipe is definitely worth the wait;...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Discover one-pots

Pork and root vegetable casserole with fennel and mustard dumplings

Pork is slow-cooked until succulent with cider, apples and root...

Subscribe to our magazine

Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.

Subscribe

Unleash your inner chef

Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter

We treat your data with care. See our privacy policy. By signing up, you are agreeing to delicious.’ terms and conditions. Unsubscribe at any time.