Seared Dijon Lamb Loin With Asian Ratatouille Garlic Mint Tapenade Recipes

GARLIC-PEPPER CRUSTED SEARED LAMB LOIN WITH TOMATO HASH SERVED ON CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Rub lamb loin with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil then sprinkle with Roasted Garlic Pepper. Wrap bacon around lamb loin and secure with toothpicks. Heat a skillet over high heat. Sear bacon wrapped lamb on all sides until golden brown. Remove toothpicks and strips of bacon. (Since the powerful flavor of the bacon can be overwhelming to lamb we will only use its imparted flavor from the searing process. The bacon strips can be discarded or cooked until crispy and reserved in the refrigerator for a short time to use as a garnish on a future Cobb salad or the like.)
• Place lamb in oven and roast until medium rare, an internal temperature of 125 degrees F. (Since the lamb will continue to cook for 5 to 8 minutes after you have removed it from the oven - carryover cooking - the meat thermometer will continue to rise to that period of time. So, the idea is to pull the lamb out at an internal temperature of 120 degrees F, so it ultimately ends up where you want it for medium rare.) Let meat rest, then cut into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• To make the tomato hash, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat and gently cook the onion and garlic until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the diced tomatoes and chives remove from the heat. Crumble in the cheese and allow it to melt.
• Place a piece of lamb on each slice of baguette, top with some of the tomato hash and mint leaves.

GARLIC-STUFFED LAMB LOIN BITES

Steps:

• In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and chili flakes over low heat for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add the oregano, garlic and lemon zest. Pour mixture out of the pan and into a bowl. Allow to cool.
• For the lamb skewers:
• Slice lamb loin lengthwise (as if filleting) into 2 pieces about 1/2-inch thick. Using a mallet or the heel of your palm, lightly pound meat to about 1/4-inch thickness then cut each in half lengthwise. Place meat in a non-metallic dish and pour reserved oregano marinade over the meat. Turn several times to coat, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
• When ready to cook, prepare grill or preheat broiler.
• Remove lamb from marinade and discard marinade. Spread about 1 tablespoon garlic paste on each of the lamb pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Roll meat lengthwise end to end and place on skewers. Brush with olive oil. Grill or broil to desired doneness, 10 to 15 minutes for medium-rare meat, depending on heat of grill. Turn meat occasionally to ensure even cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Peel the outermost layers of skin off the heads of garlic. Cut off the top 1/3 of the heads to open the cloves. Put the heads, cut sides up, in a small baking dish and pour the olive oil over them. Season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly, place in the oven, and roast until about 3/4 cooked, about 45 minutes. Uncover and return to the oven until the cloves begin to pop out of their skins and brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
• When garlic is cool enough to handle easily, squeeze the roasted garlic into a small bowl. Press against the skins very well to get out all the sweet roasted garlic you can. Add the oil from the baking dish and mix well until a paste forms. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week.

ASIAN LAMB CHOPS

Steps:

• Combine all marinade ingredients. Season lamb chops with salt and pepper and massage the marinade into meat for 5 to 10 minutes. Let marinate 4 to 6 hours in refrigerator.
• Broil to perfection (about 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare, or to your liking.)