In Hungary Dubarry pork cutlets often turn up on the menus of takeaways and restaurants, and they also gained popularity in home cooking. The culinary term Dubarry indicates a variety of dishes made with cauliflower, which is covered with white sauce and grated cheese. It was named after Madame Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry, who was the official mistress of the ill-fated king, Louis XV. It’s not quite clear why Madame du Barry was the eponym of those dishes, according to some sources the white cauliflower florets might be reminiscent of her large powdered wigs.

Dubarry recipes usually call for cooked cauliflower, however, I prefer to roast it in the oven. I pre-fry the flattened lean pork chops, then I cover them with the roasted cauliflower florets and a thick bechamel sauce, which is topped with grated cheese. Feel free to use any type of semi-hard cheese with a mild flavour.

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of lean pork, boneless
• 300 g (~2/3 lb) cauliflower florets
• 40 g (~2 3/4 tbsp) butter
• 40 g (~1/3 cup) flour
• 400 ml (~1 2/3 cups) milk
• pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• oil for frying
• 60-80 g (~2-3 oz) grated cheese (semi-hard)

Place the cauliflower florets in a baking pan lined with parchment paper, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle the florets with 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Bake them at 200° / 392°F for 20-25 minutes until nicely caramelized.

Pound the pork chops thin with a meat tenderizer, sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Heat 5-6 tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry the cutlets on high heat to quickly sear them until golden.

For the bechamel sauce melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown — about 1 minute. Add milk while continuing to stir, and bring it to a boil. Add half of the grated cheese, season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg to taste, and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.

Place the pork cutlets in a greased baking pan. Cover them with the roasted cauliflower florets, then spoon the bechamel sauce over the cauliflower. Scatter the rest of the cheese on top. Roast in the oven at 200°C / 392°F for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve piping hot with braised rice.