There were pork medallions to use, but more importantly there was a container of roast chicken gravy sitting in the fridge from earlier in the week.
That’s not something to throw away. It’s already done work. It just needs a way back in.
There were also beans still coming through, potatoes on hand, and the last of the corn from the garden that had been blanched and frozen at the end of the season.
Enough there to build a plate without adding anything new.
The original idea was a sauce Robert, but it shifted once the gravy came into it.
What was used
Pork medallions
Leftover roast chicken gravy
Onion
Brandy
Verjuice (or water)
Green beans
Potatoes
Sweet corn (from the garden, blanched and frozen)
Butter
Oil
Salt
Pepper
What we did
The pork medallions were seasoned and browned in a hot pan, just enough to get colour without cooking them through. They were taken out and set aside.
The pan was deglazed with a splash of brandy, lifting everything that had built up from the pork.
Finely diced onion went in next and was cooked down until soft.
The leftover gravy was added, along with a splash of verjuice (or water) to loosen it. The pork went back in and was finished gently in the sauce.
The potatoes were boiled until cooked through, then tossed in butter.
The beans were cooked simply and finished the same way.
The corn, already blanched and frozen, was reheated and added to the plate.
Everything was brought together as it came ready.

Started as pork medallions with a sauce Robert in mind, but went where the kitchen was already pointing. Leftover roast chicken gravy carried it, lifted with brandy and onions from the pan. Beans and potatoes kept it grounded, and the last of the garden corn finished it off. Nothing wasted, and it all came together cleanly.
What worked
Using the leftover gravy as the base made the dish. It already had depth, so it didn’t need building from scratch.
The brandy and onion gave it enough lift to feel intentional rather than reused, and the verjuice added a bit of sharpness without taking over.
Cooking the pork properly at the start helped it hold up once it went back into the sauce.
What didn’t matter
Trying to force it into a classic version of sauce Robert.
Once the gravy was in play, it became something else. Letting it go in that direction worked better than trying to correct it.
Exact measures didn’t matter either. It just needed enough of each part to balance the plate.
Final note
This is the kind of cooking that pays off over time.
One good roast becomes another meal a few days later without much effort.
Nothing complicated, nothing wasted, and everything doing its job.
Make do. Eat well.

Leave a comment