Ingredients
Pork and mustard cream
Method
- Cut the tenderloin into 2 cm medallions and salt both sides.
- Heat the butter in a large frying pan. When foaming, brown the medallions for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden.
- Lower the heat, add the mustard and crème fraîche, and stir to coat the pork. Cook for a few more minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
- Finely chop the rosemary and parsley, scatter over the pork and serve immediately.
Equipment
Large frying pan; Sharp knife; Chopping board
Notes
- Cream and mustard: thick crème fraîche with 30% fat gives the intended coating. Use strong Dijon, or choose wholegrain mustard for a milder sauce with more texture. Equal parts Dijon and wholegrain are another option.
- Keep the pork tender: avoid prolonged cooking. Once the medallions are golden, lower the heat before adding the mustard and cream.
- Optional additions: deglaze the hot pan with about 100 ml dry white wine before adding the cream to lift the browned juices. A spoonful of acacia honey gives a sweet-savoury variation. Neither is required for the selected recipe.
- Make ahead: reheat gently in a covered pan for a few minutes. Keep the heat very low and avoid boiling the sauce, which can spoil the texture of both meat and cream.
- Accompaniments: fresh tagliatelle, rice, sautéed potatoes, mash or sweet-potato mash work well. Add sautéed button mushrooms or girolles, or try Sophie's autumn suggestion of pan-fried chestnuts with the meat.
- Other meats and batch size: the sauce can accompany sliced veal, chicken or turkey, with cooking adjusted for those separate versions. The selected card uses one pork fillet for four people without specifying its weight; the article’s general portion advice does not establish the weight of that fillet.
Photos
1 photo
About this dish
A small amount of mustard can change the character of a cream sauce. Dijon mustard has a long association with Burgundy, where mustard-making became an established trade centuries ago. Its sharpness makes it a useful seasoning for meat and sauces throughout French cooking. Here it gives a little pork and cream enough contrast to become a complete dish.
For Sophie, pork is a favourite meat and the fillet its most delicate cut. She calls this mustard-and-cream version one of her regular recipes. Slicing it into medallions makes the most of its tenderness: a brief browning gives colour, then a lower heat lets the sauce coat the meat without prolonged cooking.
Her choice of thick, full-fat crème fraîche gives the sauce body with only a few spoonfuls. Strong Dijon mustard supplies its bite, and the chopped rosemary and parsley arrive after cooking. Those fresh herbs are a small but defining finish to a straightforward family lunch.
Recipe and cooking notes adapted from Dans la cuisine de Sophie.