Lamb Chops With Sweet Pea And Spinach Sauce Recipes

LAMB CHOPS WITH SWEET PEA AND SPINACH SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce, melt butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, then cover and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and vinegar. Boil until reduced to a glaze. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and boil until reduced by half.
• Place the peas and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth in a blender and blend until smooth. Add onion mixture and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the jar. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. (Can be prepared ahead, then covered and refrigerated.)
• For the lamb, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a heavy, large, oven-proof nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Coat skillet with olive oil. Add lamb chops and quickly brown on both sides. Place skillet in oven and bake until just firm to the touch, about 5 minutes for medium-rare. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, rewarm sauce over medium heat. Add spinach and stir until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle some sauce into the center of 4 plates. Place 2 lamb chops in center of each plate. Serve immediately.

LAMB WITH HERB PASTE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425º. Remove as much of the surface fat as is practical from the lamb. Combine the parsley, dill, oil, anchovies and garlic in a food processor (if you're not using the anchovies, add some salt). Purée, adding a little water if necessary. Rub the lamb with this mixture.
• Put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan with about 1/2 cup of water. Roast for 30 minutes, then check; if the lamb threatens to burn, turn the heat down to 350º; otherwise leave it at 425º. If the bottom dries out (the rendering lamb fat should keep it moist), add a little more water. After about 1 hour (total), check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. When it reaches 130 for medium rare (125 for very rare) in its thickest part (check it in several places), it's done. Total cooking time will be less than 1 1/2 hours. Remove and let it rest.
• Pour off and reserve all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and put the pan over a burner (or two, if it fits better). Toast the bread crumbs over low heat, stirring and seasoning with salt and pepper until they're lightly browned. Remove; add another couple of tablespoons of the fat to the pan. Add the pine nuts, raisins and spinach and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach is very tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Carve the lamb and serve it on a bed of spinach, sprinkled with the bread crumbs.

RACK OF LAMB WITH SPINACH PINE-NUT CRUST AND MINTED PEA SAUCE

Steps:

• Make crust mixture:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. In a baking pan toast pine nuts in middle of oven until golden, about 10 minutes, and cool.
• Discard stems from spinach and coarsely chop spinach. Rinse spinach and drain in a colander. In a large heavy kettle cook spinach in water clinging to leaves, covered, 1 minute, or until just wilted. Drain spinach well in colander, pressing out excess liquid with back of a large spoon, and cool. Tear ham into pieces. In a food processor pulse spinach with nuts, parsley, ham, and butter until finely chopped and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in remaining crust ingredients until combined well. Crust mixture may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Increase temperature to 425°F. If leaving strip of fat on racks, score a diamond pattern on fat with tip of a sharp thin knife. Halve lamb racks to form six 4-rib pieces. Pat lamb dry and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and lightly brown pieces 2 at a time, on all sides, about 1 minute total for each batch. Transfer pieces as browned to a large shallow roasting pan and arrange meaty sides up. Spread meaty side of each piece with 1 teaspoon mustard. Divide crust mixture into 6 portions and pat over mustard coating on each piece, gently pressing to help adhere.
• Roast lamb in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted 2 inches into center registers 135°F. for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
• Cut lamb into individual chops and serve with sauce.