Pork Medallions in Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce

This simple recipe transforms pork medallions into a luxurious dish, served with a rich and creamy mushroom marsala sauce. Served over buttered noodles or with sautéed new potatoes, the medallions are first seared until golden brown, then set aside while the sauce is prepared in a matter of minutes. Chopped shallots and sliced mushrooms are sautéed until golden, then sprinkled with a little flour and jigger of sherry to thicken and flavour the sauce. Chicken stock is added and cooked until reduced by half, then the cream, Dijon mustard and parsley are stirred in along with the browned and juicy pork medallions. Served in a large serving bowl with a flurry of chopped parsley, this dish is an easy, elegant and delicious meal, perfect for a mid-week dinner but also impressive enough for serving family and friends. 

The pork medallions are lightly pounded, seasoned and sautéed 

until they become nicely browned, then transferred to a plate and set aside

In the same pan, chopped shallots are sautéed for about 10-15 seconds

Sliced mushrooms are added to the shallots and sautéed 3-4 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are golden

A tablespoon of flour and half cup of sherry or marsala is added to the sauce

Chicken broth is then added and cooked for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half

Cream, Dijon mustard and chopped parsley are then added to the sauce

The browned medallions are returned to the sauce and cooked a further 4 minutes

The pork should still be a little pink in the middle and the sauce thick and lovely

Pork Medallions in Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce
Serves 2

1 pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch thick medallions and lightly pounded
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 medium shallots, finely diced
12 oz cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tbsp flour or cornstarch
1/2 cup dry Marsala or Sherry
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley


Season the pork medallions on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large non-stick sauté pan over high heat. When the butter is melted and foaming, add half of the medallions and sear until they're nicely browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. The pork should be golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining pork.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan. Add the shallots and sauté for about 30 seconds, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the mushrooms, reduce the heat to medium-high and sauté until all of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are golden, about 3 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, sprinkle with the flour and add the sherry. Once the wine has almost completely evaporated, add the chicken broth and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mustard, cream and parsley, return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pan, and cook, flipping the medallions once, until they're firm to the touch and still a little pink in the middle, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

To serve, place the medallions on a serving platter and spoon over the mushroom marsala sauce with a final garnish of chopped parsley for show. I like to serve this dish with buttered noodles or sautéed new potatoes — my new favourite side dish by Nigella — and steamed or sautéed rapini.




Sautéed New Potatoes 'Nigella'
Serves 2

1 lb baby new potatoes, washed and halved but not peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
Maldon salt and fresh ground pepper


Put the halved new potatoes on to steam for 15 minutes, then turn the heat off under the steamer. When ready to serve the main course, tip the steamed potatoes into a sauté pan and fry for 3-4 minutes, then turn them over and fry for another 3 minutes, shaking the pan every now and again to make them tumble and turn in the hot oil until they become crisp and golden. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the potatoes to a platter and season with a flurry of Maldon salt and fresh ground pepper.