Pork and Apple Stroganoff with Spätzle

Last weekend, I was in Germany and brought back a packet of fresh spätzle. The freezer held some outdoor reared pork cut into strips. As I was making it, the dish evolved. The apple wasn't planned. Leave out the meat and make it a mushroom and apple stroganoff.

(Serves 4, though somehow we managed to eat it between two of us. Oops!)

400 g fresh spätzle (dry spätzle, fresh/dry tagliatelle or orechiette)

500 g pork, cut into strips
350 g mushrooms
1 apple
1 medium onion
2 garlic cloves
1 celery stick
2 tbsp chopped fresh celery leaves (optional)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
150 ml whipping cream
1 tsp flour
100 ml milk or cold water
extra virgin olive oil

1. Slice or quarter the mushrooms. Chop the onion, garlic, celery and celery leaves. Wash, quarter and cube the apple.

2. Heat oil in two pans. Add the meat and apple to one pan and the onion, garlic, celery and mushrooms to the other.

3. Sauté the veg and brown the pork and apple. Mix the milk/water with the flour. (If using dried pasta cook it now as per packet instructions.)

4. When cooked combine in one pan, add the cream and bring to the boil. Add the flour milk/water mix. Now add the fresh/cooked spätzle or other pasta.

5. Heat through. The served in warmed plates accompanied by a leafy salad.