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1
Heat the oven to 200 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
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2
Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and place in the oven to dry out, about 20 minutes.
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3
Remove from the oven and set aside.
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4
Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
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5
When it foams, add the diced apples and let them brown, stirring only occasionally.
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6
Remove from heat and place in a mixing bowl.
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7
Reduce the heat to medium and add the olive oil and remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
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8
When the butter foams, add the onions, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
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9
Stir in the cooked apples, bread cubes, dried apples, sliced sage leaves, and minced thyme and cook until heated through.
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10
Stir in the apple cider, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, remove from heat, and set aside.
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11
Rinse the pork chops and pat them dry with paper towels.
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12
Holding a sharp paring knife parallel to the work surface, cut a 3-inch-wide pocket into each pork chop all the way to the bone.
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13
Move the knife in a fanning motion to create a larger pocket, being careful not to cut through the top or bottom of the pork.
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14
(Check out our photo tutorial on for more information on how to do this.)
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15
Repeat with the other pork chops.
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16
Season the chops well on all sides and inside each pocket with salt and freshly ground pepper.
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17
Stuff 1/8 of the stuffing into each pocket.
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18
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
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19
When the butter foams, place 3 pork chops in the pan.
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20
Sear the chops until they are nicely browned, then turn them to brown the other side.
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21
When the chops are browned, remove them from the pan to a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish large enough to hold them all comfortably.
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22
Dump out the used oil that remains in the pan, but do not wash the pan.
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23
Repeat with the other chops.
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24
When all the chops are seared, place them in the oven and bake until they are fully cooked and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 145 degrees F, about 25 to 30 minutes.
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25
Meanwhile, return the pan used for browning the chops to medium heat.
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26
(Do not clean the pan!)
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27
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion, celery, and carrot to the pan.
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28
Cook until the vegetables are softened and brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.
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29
Remove the pan from heat, add the apple brandy (if using; otherwise, do this with some of the apple cider), and return it to the heat.
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30
(If you want, carefully tilt the pan to ignite the brandy.)
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31
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any of the browned bits that have adhered to the pan.
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32
Stir in the apple cider and bring to a simmer for about 8 minutes.
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33
Add the chicken broth and herb sprigs and return to a simmer.
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34
Cook until the sauce is reduced to 2 cups, about 12 minutes.
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35
Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer and return it to the pan.
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36
Whisk in the creme fraiche to thicken the sauce slightly.
