Rosemary Mint Lamb Chops with Seasonal Fig Compote

By á-168605

A delicious blend of seasonal flavors -- lamb, rosemary, mint and figs. Lamb is usually pricey, but when you master the art of cooking it, you can enjoy it at home for a quarter of the price found at restaurants.

Ingredients

• 12 lamb chops, of equal size
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bunch rosemary
• 1 bunch mint
• 3 shallots
• 16 to 20 purple figs (reserve 6 for garnish)
• 1/8 cup water
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bag or bowl mix together 1/4 cup red wine, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 sprigs of both rosemary and mint lightly chopped and 1 1/2 shallots roughly chopped. Mix everything together well and set aside.

Rinse and dry the lamb. Add it to the marinade and let stand for 1 to 3 hours, for best result. Make sure the marinade is spread over each lamb chop.

Wash the figs and remove the stems. Cut the figs into a small dice and set aside.

Mince the remaining shallots and sauté them in a pan with 2 teaspoons olive oil until they begin to caramelize. Add the figs and water to the saucepot, season with salt. Cook the figs down until they begin to turn into a paste. Deglaze with a ¼ cup of red wine and the red wine vinegar. Cook on medium low heat until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Set aside.

Bring the lamb chops out 30-45 minutes before you cook them and allow them to rise to room temperature for the best cooking results.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a large sauté pan add the remaining olive oil and once it is hot add the lamb chops presentation side down. Sear on medium high heat for 5-6 minutes or until a beautiful golden brown has formed on the presentation side of the lamb chop. You may need to use the back of the spoon to slightly press down on the meat to ensure an even browning. The bone can cause some areas to remain untouched by the pan, which leaves you with gray meat.

Once they’re brown, flip them and place them in the oven for a remaining 5-6 minutes or until the blood is rising to the top which means they have reached a medium rare.

Let the lamb chops rest for a few minutes uncovered.

Reheat the fig compote while the meat is resting and serve with the lamb chops. Garnish with sliced fresh figs, chopped rosemary and mint leaves.

Enjoy.