I couldn't get noisettes of lamb that Betty neels mentions in her books, hence, lamb chops. :)
Lamb chops
Serves 3
Ingredients:
8 lamb rib chops (or ask the butcher for double cut lamb rib chop to get thicker chops)
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4 sprigs fresh thyme, crushed
1-2tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
1/2 - 1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp garlic paste/crushed
salt
Mix all the ingredients together in 2 tbsp olive oil and marinate the lamb chops for an hour (or more).
Heat the rest of the olive oil plus butter in a skillet. Add the chops. Brown on both sides.
Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side.
Remove cover and brown for a minute or less.
You may make a gravy from the drippings. Saute some onion in the drippings. Deglaze the pan by adding some red wine vinegar plus chicken/lamb stock and scraping the skillet. For thicker gravy, add a tablespoon of flour and cook thoroughly.
Serve lamb chops with the salad below and potatoes Dauphinoise ( au gratin). Add a few fried tomato slices, if you like.
Watercress and Pink Grapefruit Salad:
1 bunch fresh watercress trimmed
1/2 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented
1 small bunch freshly chopped mint
Vinaigrette dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2-1 tsp sugar
Method:
Make the dressing. Toss the trimmed and washed watercress and mint together with the dressing.Add pink grapefruit pieces.
Potatoes Dauphinoise
Ingredients
5 Yukon gold potatoes
3 cloves of garlic
2-3 sprigs of thyme
3 0z Gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 3 - 4
Method
1.Preheat oven to 300°F.
2.Finely chop the garlic and thinly slice the potatoes (the skin can be left on or peeled off).
3.Put the cream, milk, garlic, rosemary and thyme in a saucepan. Season with salt & pepper, bring to the boil and then remove from the heat.
4.Rub the inside of a oven-proof dish with butter and place a layer of potato in the bottom of the dish. Lightly season the layer with salt & pepper, add cheese all over the potatoes, and continue to layer and season until the dish is full. Then pour the milk mixture over the potatoes.
5.Put the dish into the oven for 40 minutes.
6.Check the potato is cooked by sticking a knife into the middle, the potato should be soft and offer no resistance.
7.Cut out portions and serve.
Source: http://www.reallynicerecipes.com/recipe/potato/dauphinoise which I modified.
I found the recipe for the salad here, but I have modified them : http://www.heritagemeats.co.uk/heritagemeats/node/18
