Pistachio-Crusted Pork Scaloppine with Mango Shrimp

Note from Cheri: This recipe is re-printed from the book American Harvest. This fabulous cookbook, an effort of The American Academy of Chefs/Honor Society of the American Culinary Federation, is a collaboration of fifty premier chefs sharing their favorite recipes from America's regional cuisine. This particular recipe is from Heinz Sowinski, CEC, AAC, Owner, La Maison On Telfair, Augusta, Georgia. Here are Chef Sowinski's notes: "Sweet, pink shrimp from the Florida Keys inspired this dish. To create an island feel, I added the flavors of peppers, mangos, and tender pork. It is one of the most requested dishes in my restaurant, where I like serving it with Basmati rice and fresh, steamed asparagus." Click here for more information on this book or to order through Amazon.com.

1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned 1/2 yellow bell pepper, julienned 2 tablespoons capers 1/2 cup prepared sweet-and-sour or margarita mix (available in beverage stores and in many supermarkets) 3/4 C heavy cream 1/2 C thinly sliced fresh mango 1 teaspoon Tabasco® sauce salt and pepper to taste 4 pieces (3 oz. each) of pork loin or eight pieces (1 1/2 oz. each) of tenderloin 1/2 C all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 C chopped pistachio nuts 1/3 C unseasoned fresh breadcrumbs 1 large egg 2 tablespoons water 6 tablespoons peanut oil (as needed ) 6 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, cut in half crosswise

Serves 4 Preheat oven to 250°F. In a medium, nonstick sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and capers and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add the sweet-and-sour or margarita mix, bring to a boil, and cook until slightly thickened and reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cream, mango, and Tabasco®. Simmer another 3 minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside. Place each piece of pork between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound them until they are slightly less than 1/4 inch thick. Set aside. Combine the flour with the teaspoon of salt and spread onto a large plate. Mix the pistachios and the breadcrumbs on a separate plate. Lightly beat the egg with the water in a shallow bowl or a dish with sides. Heat 4 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, dredge the pork cutlets in the flour, dip them in the egg, then lay them in the pistachio nuts, sprinkling any bare spots to cover. Add them to the skillet as they're ready, but do not crowd the pan. Cook in batches, if necessary, adding more oil as needed. Turn the cutlets as they brown, taking care not to burn the nuts, and cook the other side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked pork to an ovenproof platter and place in the oven to keep warm. Add the shrimp to the hot skillet and cook for 15 to 30 seconds per side. Arrange 3 shrimp on top of each portion of pork and spoon some of the mango sauce over top.