Pork fillet with Valais apricots in a hazelnut crust, with Bleu du Valais sauce and new carrots

Preparation

Hazelnut crust

1. Allow the butter to soften at room temperature for a few minutes.
2. Mix the softened butter and the hazelnuts until obtaining a homogeneous paste. Add salt and pepper.
3. Place the mixture on some film and roll it to form a sausage. Refrigerate.

Bleu du Valais sauce

1. Chop the shallot and fry in oil.
2. Add the Bleu du Valais cheese, the white wine and the whole cream.
3. Simmer while stirring with a whisk to obtain a creamy sauce.

Carrots

1. Boil water with salt.
2. Peel the carrots, keeping them whole.
3. Place the carrots in boiling water and cook for 2 to 5 min. Afterwards, place them in cold water.

Pork fillet

1. Pit the apricots and cut them into 4 pieces.
2. Cut the pork fillet into 4 steaks of about 150 g each.
3. Indent the centre of the steaks with a small knife.
4. Place 2 to 3 pieces of apricots into the indents in the meat slices. Add salt and pepper.
5. In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the pieces of meat on a high heat (about 1 min on each side).
6. Cut the hazelnut crust into slices 4 to 5 mm thick and place on the steaks.
7. Place in the middle of the oven, preheated to 250°, for 3 min.

Finish

1. Reheat the carrots in a pan with a little butter and broth for a few minutes.
2. Place the sauce, the veal stock and the carrots on the plates.
3. Cut each steak into 3 pieces and lay on the plates.

Recipe: Peter Gschwendtner, Chef at restaurant Castle, Blitzingen