Tarte tatin, spicy pork chops and crumble: Ravinder Bhogal’s gooseberry recipes

The gooseberry makes itself welcome in both sweet and savoury settings: in a tarte tatin, in a lively salad for spicy, herby pork chops and in a crumble custard cake

In the summer glut of saccharine fruits such as strawberries and peaches, gooseberries may not be the ones you reach for first. But behind their strange burr of fine fuzz, these translucent, marble-like fruits offer a complex, defiant flavour. They are juicy, fragrant, a little sweet (especially the red ones that come along later in the season), but, overall, they are raspishly sour. Like rhubarb, they need sweetening if you’re using them in compotes or desserts, but their natural tartness offers a wonderful contrast and cuts through cheese, fatty meat such as pork or oily fish such as mackerel.

Spiced pork chops with fennel, tarragon and gooseberry salad (pictured top)

The addition of tart fruit in the salad helps to cut through the fattiness of the meat.

Prep 15 min
Marinate 20 min
Pickle 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4

2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
4 pork chops
2 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and bashed flat

For the salad
3 tbsp white-wine vinegar
1 tbsp caster sugar, or honey
Sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and very lightly crushed
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and very finely sliced from top to base (preferably with a mandoline)
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler or mandoline
1 banana shallot, peeled and very finely sliced
200g gooseberries
25g tarragon, leaves picked
25g mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Put the salt, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, pepper and sugar in a mortar and grind to a fine powder. Add the paprika and oregano, and grind again. Pat the chops dry with kitchen paper, then press the spice mix all over the meat. Leave to marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/350F/gas 6. Heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof frying pan and add the garlic. Using tongs, hold the chops skin-side down in the pan for five minutes to crisp up and render the fat. Once the fat is a lovely amber colour, fry the chops for three minutes on each side, basting as you go, then transfer to the oven for six minutes, or until cooked all the way through. Rest the meat for five minutes.

Meanwhile, make the salad. Mix the vinegar and caster sugar in a mixing bowl until the sugar has dissolved, then season well with salt and pepper. Add the coriander seeds, fennel, cucumber and shallot, and set aside to lightly pickle for 10 minutes. Finally, add the gooseberries and herbs and drizzle over the olive oil. Toss well and serve with the pork chops.

Gooseberry tarte tatin with goat’s cheese

A savoury take on the classic apple tarte tatin. This version features a wonderful partnership between tart gooseberries and funky goat’s cheese. Serve with some dressed salad leaves and toasted hazelnuts for crunch.

Prep 10 min
Cook 55 min
Serves 6

40g butter
A few sprigs of thyme
2½ tbsp runny honey
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and black pepper
750g gooseberries, topped and tailed
Plain flour, for dusting
500g block puff pastry
150g soft goat’s cheese

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/425F/gas 6. Put a 20cm ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat and melt the butter. Once the butter has completely melted, add the thyme and fry briefly for 30 seconds, then stir in the honey and vinegar and season well.

Once the glaze has thickened and caramelised, remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for eight to 10 minutes. Add the gooseberries and stir to coat.

On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry to 3mm thick, then cut out a circle slightly larger than the pan. Cover the gooseberries with the pastry, using your fingers to carefully tuck it in at the edges. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until crisp and golden on top.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least five minutes before carefully inverting on to a serving plate. Serve hot or cold, scattered with crumbled goat’s cheese and more black pepper.

Gooseberry crumble custard cake

The sour fruit offers a welcome respite in this nursery-sweet cake layered with custard. Raspberries would also work well here.

Prep 5 min
Cook 1 hr 20 min, plus cooling
Chill 4 hr
Serves 12

300g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease tin
300g golden caster sugar
5 medium eggs
300g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
150ml milk
400g gooseberries
500ml fresh vanilla custard

For the crumble
200g plain flour
125g chilled butter
125g golden caster sugar
A fat pinch of sea salt
70g flaked almonds
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Heat the oven to 160C (140C fan)/325F/gas 3. For the crumble topping, rub the flour and butter between your fingertips to a breadcrumb-like consistency, then mix in the sugar, salt, almonds, and lemon zest. Chill until needed.

Grease a 20cm x 30cm rectangular cake tin with butter, then line it with baking paper.

In a stand mixer or with an electric whisk, beat the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each one in thoroughly, then sift in the flour and baking powder. Pour in the milk, gently fold in, then add half the gooseberries.

Spread half the gooseberry batter evenly into the lined tin, then pour the custard on top. Carefully spread the rest of the batter on top, then dot with the remaining gooseberries.

Sprinkle with the crumble mixture, then bake for about an hour, until golden but still a bit wobbly in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin, then chill for at least four hours, and ideally overnight. Cut into 12 rectangles and serve.