Ingredients
4- 8 lamb chops cleaned of any fat (24oz.)
- 6 to 8 oz. caul fat
- 10 oz. lamb and vegetable mousseline
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Lamb & Vegetable Mousseline
- 3 oz. boneless lamb loin
- 3 oz. pork fat
- 3 oz. boneless veal loin
- 1 ½ oz. chicken liver
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped zucchini
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow squash
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped carrots
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon peeled and thinly chopped red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Merlot and Vanilla Sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
- ½ cup Merlot wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 ½ teaspoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons Port wine
- 1/3 plump and moist vanilla bean, split longwise
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
Lamb and Vegetable Mousseline
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan, and sauté the vegetables together until cooked, adding also the chopped garlic, thyme, and seasoning. Drain the vegetables, let cool down and refrigerate.
With a meat grinder, mince finely the lamb loin, veal loin, chicken liver and pork fat. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add 2 egg yolks, one by one, the chopped cilantro, salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix in the cooked vegetables and check the seasoning.
Merlot and Vanilla Sauce
Sweat the shallots in olive oil, over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute. Pour the Merlot wine over the shallots/garlic and simmer until almost dry. Deglaze with the chicken or beef broth, mix in the corn starck and port wine. Add the vanilla bean and simmer very gently for 8 to 10 minutes. Check the seasoning.
Lamb Chops
Heat the oven to 375°F.
Layout and divide the caul fat into 8 rectangles (4”x6”). Spread about ½ oz. of vegetable and lamb mousseline in the center of each rectangle. Lay one seasoned (salt and pepper) lamb chop on each mound of filling. Cover each lamb chop with a thin layer of mousseline. Fold the caul fat over the filling making sure everything is completely enclosed beside the bone of the chop.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in pan and sauté the chops quickly on both sides. Set the pan in the preheated oven and roast for about 10 minutes.
Transfer the lamb chops to a cutting board. Slice the chops into ½ inch slices. Arrange the chops on dinner plates so that the slices overlap. You will observe that each lamb chop stays perfectly pink after cooked for 10 minutes.
Moisten the lamb chops with the Merlot and vanilla sauce.
Gratin Dauphinois (thin-sliced potatoes cooked in cream) and cherry tomatoes stuffed with spinach leaves make this an irresistible feast.