December 22, 2022
Pistachio Pesto
GF/V/DF
I use this delicious pesto as a dip for the roasted veggies, as well as smearing on top of the browned lamb chops before they go into the oven for finishing.
3/4 cup whole green olives, pits removed
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, skins rubbed off (soak in filtered water night before)
1/4 cup fresh herbs (combination of parsley, oregano and whatever else you like)
2 tbsp capers + 1 tsp caper brine
4 small-med garlic cloves
kosher salt
1/4 cup EVOO
Add all but the EVOO into a small food processor or Bullet. Blend until the nuts are thoroughly chopped and the mixture resembles a very thick paste. Slowly drizzlein the EVOO. Adjust the amount of olive oil in order to get your prefered thisckness/texture...but forsmearing over the lamb chops, you want it to be thick. After that, you can add more oil to make the dip a thinner consistency.
Lamb Chops
GF/DF
one rack of lamb, with 8 ribs
EVOO
Pistachio Pesto
Separate the lamb ribs and season with salt. Let them dry out on a paper towel while you make the pesto. Over med-hig heat, sear the chops, about 2mn per side. Remove to a rack over a sheet pan. Smear the pistachio pesto over each chop. You'll use about 2/3 - 3/4 of the pesto. Reserve the restas a dip or garnish for roasted vegetables.
Finish the lamb chops in a preheated oven at 425F for 7-8mn, or until the internal temperature reaches 140F. Remove and let sit for 5mn. The temperature should rise to 145F. Serve alongside a fresh simple green salad and some roasted veggies.
Roasted Veggies
GF/V/DF
Preheat the oven to 350F. I make this with different vegetables each time, depending what is in season & what I have on hand. For this meal, I used cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and just a few red onion slices. I washed, cut and dried the veggies while the lamb chops were coming to room temp. Keep the veggies separate for now.
Tips:
For cauliflower, cut in half right through the core, then cut leaves and core out, using 2 diagonal cuts. Separate the florets by cutting half way down their little stem, then pull apart with your hands. They will crumble less and look more natural, if you don't slice all the way through.
For Brussels sprouts, cut off the core/stem end of each, which will then allow tough outer leaves to be easily removed. Discard the stem trimmings and outer leaves. Then slice through the core in an x, cutting the sprout in 1/4 pieces. For smaller sprouts, just cut them in half. You want all the pieces to be fairly uniform in size.
I usually rinse again at this point, putting the vegetables in a strainer a little at a time. I lay out a clean kitchen towel, then pat the veggies dry on the towel. Set aside the smaller, more tender veggies. Toss the largest/toughest veggies in olive oil, then sprinkle some flaky salt and espelette pepper over the top.
Bake at 350F for 15mn. Raise the temperature to 425F and bake another 15-20mn. I add smaller and more tender veggies to the pan during the cooking time, depending on how we like them cooked. We like brussels sprouts with a little bite left and not too mushy, so I add them when I turn up the heat, halfway through the cook time. (You'll add the lamb chops during last 7mn of cook time, if your roasted veggies are accompanying the recipe above.) Some other veggies we love to roast: beets, sunchokes, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, sweet peppers, squash, garlic, and more!
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