This Provence-inspired Pork Chop en Papillote recipe is a preview from chef Laurent Gras's multiple IACP award-winning cookbook, My Provence.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Butter the baking or roasting pan. Place the juniper berries on a cutting board and crush with the flat side of the knife. Chop finely. About 10 minutes before cooking, salt the pork. Place a cast-iron pan over high heat. Add the canola oil and sear the meat until browned on both sides. Add half of the butter and baste the meat continuously while it cooks to develop a nice crust, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon slices to the pan along with the remaining butter. Continue basting the pork with the butter to glaze the meat and brown the lemons, about 5 minutes more. Arrange the pork chops in the roasting pan in one layer with the lemon and sage. Season with the juniper and freshly ground black pepper.
Cut a piece of aluminum foil and parchment paper 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the roasting pan on all sides. Place the foil on top of a piece of parchment and use this to enclose the meat in the roasting pan. Tie tightly with butcher twine. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven to cook the pork chop to medium. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Place the shallot and the garlic in a small mixing bowl with the cooked and raw egg yolks, sherry vinegar, and juniper berries. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly add the canola oil while beating to emulsify to a thick dressing. Add the parsley.
Snip the tips and leaves of the watercress off the thick stems. Wash carefully in a mixing bowl filled with water and spin dry. Combine the grapeseed oil with the balsamic vinegar, pepper, and salt, and toss with the watercress just before serving.
Cut the daikon into 12 slices, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. Using a sharp knife, peel and trim each piece of daikon to produce an even cylinder. Season with sea salt.
In a medium sauté pan, heat the canola oil over low heat. Place the daikon in the pan, flat bottom down, and roast on one side only. After 5 minutes, add the butter to the pan, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the honey and sherry vinegar and let it reduce until it starts to form a light caramel. Turn off the heat. Transfer the radish to a platter, roasted side up. Season with ground white pepper and keep warm.
Cut open the foil package and lift the meat out of the roasting pan. Remove the bone from the pork chop and slice the meat. Transfer to a serving platter. Spoon some of the cooking juices from the roasting pan over the meat. Arrange the daikon and the watercress salad around the platter.