Ingredients
1 cup dried apricots
1 medium red onion
½ cup butter
1 small shallot, minced fine
1 cup chopped shitake mushrooms
3 cups stale bread crumbs
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
4 pork chops, 1 to 1 ½ in thick
Cover apricots with water and soak for several hours, drain and chop. In a sauté pan over medium heat cook onions in half of the butter until just starting to soften, add apricots, crumbs, and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a fry pan heat other half of butter over medium high heat, sauté shallot for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook until juices start to come out, about 4-5 minutes. Add mushroom mixture to pan with rest of stuffing.
Using a sharp paring or utility knife cut a slit in the side of the chops to make a pocket. Deposit ¼ of the mixture into each chop, allowing excess to spill out. Season chops with salt, pepper and paprika. Brown at medium high heat in an oven proof sauté pan over high heat. Place in oven to finish, about 10-12 minutes.
