Recipe provided by | THE FORKED SPOON
Servings: 4 Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE LAMB CHOPS
8 American lamb chops – each approx. 1-inch thick
salt and pepper – to season
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic – minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley – minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary – minced
1 tablespoon olive oil – for cooking
1 tablespoon butter – for cooking
FOR THE MINT CHUTNEY (OPTIONAL)
1 bunch fresh cilantro
2-3 bunches fresh mint – stems removed (approximately 2 cups packed)
1-2 green chile peppers – seeded and chopped (such as serrano peppers)
1 teaspoon salt
1 white onion – peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 lemon – juiced
2 tablespoon water – plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin – (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Season. Generously season both sides of your lamb chops with salt and pepper.
2. Prepare the garlic herb marinade. In a small bowl mix together the olive oil with the freshly minced garlic and fresh herbs. Use a pastry brush to brush both sides of the lamb chops. Discard any remaining marinade and allow chops to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (see notes).
3. Cook. When ready to cook heat a large cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. When the olive oil just starts to smoke, start adding the lamb chops to the skillet. Cook until lightly browned, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the butter to the skillet, flip each lamb chop, and continue to cook until they register 125°F for medium-rare or 135°F for medium using a digital meat thermometer, approximately 4-5 minutes more.
4. Rest. Remove lamb chops from the skillet and allow them to rest for at least 5 minutes.
5. Serve. Serve lamb chops with homemade mint chutney (recipe below) or other favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
FOR THE MINT CHUTNEY (OPTIONAL)
1. Prepare mint and cilantro. Chop off the thick, tough ends from the cilantro and rinse the leaves under cold water and dry thoroughly. Even better if you have a salad spinner. For the mint, remove the leaves from each stem and set aside (yes, this is the most time-consuming part). Rinse leaves under cold water and pat with paper towels to dry.
2. Process. Add all ingredients to the bowl of a high-speed blender and blend until fully pureed. Season with additional salt, lemon juice, or onion, to taste.
