PORK FILLET NORMANDY STYLE
This dish really shows you what Normandy cooking is all about. 
This is one of those dishes that really shows you what Normandy cooking is all about. Everything that defines the region (the apples, the cider, the calvados, the cream, the butter) comes together in a single pan. It's not complicated, but it is deeply satisfying. The sauce is sweet, a little tangy, and has that gentle background richness from the pork and mushrooms. Once you've made this, you'll understand why the Normands have been cooking this way for centuries.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
800 g (1 lb 12 oz) pork fillet (2 fillets, approx. 400 g / 14 oz each), trimmed and halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp plain flour (optional, for dusting)
30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter, for the pork
2 apples (cooking variety such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and cut into wedges
3 tbsp calvados
330 ml (11 fl oz) dry apple cider
200 g (7 oz) button or chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 shallots, finely chopped
20 g (¾ oz) unsalted butter, for the mushrooms
100 ml (3½ fl oz) double cream (minimum 35% fat)
MISE EN PLACE
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). You will need an oven-safe sauté pan or shallow casserole with a lid. Peel, core and cut the apples into 8 thin wedges each and set aside in cold water to prevent browning. Slice the mushrooms and finely chop the shallots. Trim the pork fillets of any excess fat and sinew, then cut each in half to give 4 portions. Have a sheet of foil ready to rest the meat.
Method
Season the pork portions well on both sides with salt and pepper. If you'd like a slightly thicker sauce and a little insurance against sticking, dust each piece lightly in flour and shake off the excess.
Melt the 30 grams of butter in your sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. When the butter is hot and foaming, add the pork and reduce the heat slightly. Colour the meat for around 2 minutes on each side. Once done, carefully add the calvados. If you'd like to flambé, tilt the pan or use a lighter. Either way, let the alcohol cook off for a moment before pouring in the entire bottle of cider.
Drain the apple wedges and add them raw to the pan. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then cover with a lid and transfer to the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
While the pork is in the oven, melt the remaining butter in a separate frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms first - don't add the shallots yet or they'll burn before the mushrooms are ready. Once the mushrooms have released their water and started to colour, add the shallots and cook for another minute or two until softened. Season lightly and set aside.
When the pork comes out of the oven, remove the meat and apples to a tray, cover with foil and leave to rest while you finish the sauce. Return the sauté pan to the stove and bring the cooking liquid to a boil. Add the mushrooms and shallots, then pour in the cream. Reduce over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches a consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
Return the pork and apples to the pan just long enough to warm through, then serve immediately.
Tip
For the cream, use a good-quality double cream with at least 35% fat content. Lower-fat creams can split when reduced at high heat.
The flambé step is optional. What you're really after is the apple flavour from the calvados, not the theatre. If you skip it, just let the calvados simmer for a minute before adding the cider.
This dish works well served with steamed rice, boiled potatoes, or buttered egg noodles, which are excellent at soaking up the sauce.