THE MAPLE/PAPRIKA ALLIANCE: JOIN NOW.

Because these two unlikely protagonists can turn your dinner into a diplomatic coup.

Cooking, like international relations, is never entirely stable. The elements are constantly moving, whether forced by social change, global politics, economic and environmental factors, or just good old hissy fits.

And a good cook, like a good world leader, will instinctively know when to keep two factions apart, or when two seemingly dissimilar elements, in fact, have a natural affinity.

So if I said to you that maple syrup and Spanish paprika are two wonderful ingredients on their own, but together, they are crazy-good; you should listen. I’m talking about real maple syrup, made from the sap of the maple tree, and real Spanish paprika, made by drying pimenton de la Vera and slowly smoking them over oak. (Favourites are La Chinata and La Dalia).

It’s a particularly clever combination when you have something sensitive to cook, that requires kitchen diplomacy.

Like a pork chop.

You’d think they’d be easy, wouldn’t you? They’re certainly easy to over-cook. The temptation is to get that strip of fat all nice and crisp, but if you cook the chop long enough to do that, the meat will be dry. Loin chop meat is not marbled with fat. So there’s your dilemma.

But if you baste the pork chop with maple syrup and paprika and leave it to wallow for a bit, then when you go to cook it, the sugars will caramelise in the pan and the smokiness of the paprika will infuse the meat, and it’s pure alchemy. Weirdly, it’s neither too sweet, nor too spicy, but has an almost savoury caramelisation and an insistent warmth.

Of course, you can still easily overcook a pork chop, so just… don’t. Get it looking amazing in the pan first, then transfer to a slow oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking. If it’s a thin chop, then don’t even do the oven, just tent it with foil to keep warm for 5 minutes and that should do it.

Then, apply that learning (the one that says maple syrup and paprika together are a force to reckon with) to other things that you want to cook quickly AND get a great textural contrast.

 Like… bacon. Lay the rashers flat on a baking tray lined with baking paper, brush with the mix of maple syrup and paprika, and bake until crisp.

Like… scallops. Brush a little just on the ‘top’ of each fat scallop and sear in a hot pan. As soon as the top caramelises and browns, flip onto the other side for 5 seconds, remove, rest and serve. It should still be glassy inside, and will taste amazing.

Like… cod-like skinless white fish. Marinate in maple/paprika first, and you’ll end up with the same glossy, lightly sweet, charry effect as the famous Nobu miso cod.

Like… whatever you like, really. I’ve seen similar ‘maple syrup and sweet potato’ connections, mainly in the US, but that could get a bit sweet-on-sweet. It’s more interesting, I think, to go sweet-on-savoury.

PORK CHOPS WITH MAPLE SYRUP AND PAPRIKA

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp sea salt

• Half tsp cracked black pepper

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 thick pork loin chops, at room temperature

• sea salt and pepper

Mix the paprika, maple syrup, sea salt, pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil until smooth, and rub over the pork chops on all sides.

Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Heat the oven to 160C.

Heat a heavy fry pan over medium heat. Wipe most of the marinade off the rind, and using tongs, hold each chop vertically, skin-side down, for around 1 minute, to help brown the fat and start it rendering.

Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil if necessary, and cook the chops on one side for 3 minutes or until browned, pressing down lightly with an egg flippy thing.

Turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes.

Transfer to an oven tray lined with baking paper and finish the cooking in the oven, around 5 to 10 minutes. If your chops are thin, just rest them under foil for 5 minutes, then flash back in the pan to get hot, and serve. Serves 2.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH YOUR PORK CHOP:

A quick mustard sauce: If the pan juices haven’t burnt, deglaze the pan with a good dash of white wine, stirring, add a dollop of Dijon mustard and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, and a dash of cream, sea salt and black pepper, and stir for 1 minute.

Baked apples:  cut in half cross-wise, brush with some of the maple syrup and paprika sauce, and bake at 180C for 30 mins or until tender.

Or this carrot and swede mash:

Or maybe this lemony dill and spinach rice dish.

Or some buttery hispi or sweetheart cabbage.

To tell if your pork chop is cooked, cut into the thickest part with the tip of a sharp knife; there should be no blood, and the meat should be firm, not soft. Even so, I would err on the side of a slight pinkness to the meat rather than boot leather.

If the chops are thick, try scoring the rind with a harp Stanley knife, from top to bottom - but don’t worry if they’re not thick enough to do so.

If you don’t have smoked paprika, mix 1 tsp normal paprika with 1 tsp cumin.

If your maple syrup has gone mouldy, in that it has a little float of mould (it happens, especially in Australia), don’t toss it out. Strain the lot through a fine sieve or muslin cloth and ditch the mould, then bring the syrup to the boil. Cool before returning to a clean bottle, seal, and from now on, store it in the fridge.

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Thanks for dropping by! As always, thanks for your comments and suggestions. Big thanks to chef Stephen Harris of The Sportsman, a very special little seaside pub in Kent, UK, for introducing me to this special alliance a gazillion years ago. And special thanks to Terry for getting that bloody cap off the maple syrup bottle.

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I would also like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and waters upon which I work, live, cook and play; the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and pay my respects to Elders past and present, and to the continuing strength and resilience of First Nations people, communities and cultures.