Braised Lamb Chops, makes a beautiful dinner and impressive dinner party fare.
2 tablespoons Del Oliva Tuscan herb infused extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
6 Lamb chops
1 Red onion finely diced
1 Celery stalk including leaves finely diced
4 Cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon Bff Kitchen nutmeg
1 teaspoon Bff Kitchen sage
1 teaspoon Bff Kitchen ground rosemary
1 teaspoon Bff Kitchen thyme
1 teaspoon Bff Kitchen oregano
1 teaspoon Bff Kitchen parsley
1 Cup Pinot Grigio*
½ Cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Combine all the dry spices to make a dry rub set aside. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat till you can see small squiggles in the oil. While waiting for the oil to come to temperature, wash and pat dry lamb chops. Rub the lamb chops all over with the dry rub of spices.
When the olive oil is to temp, saute the onion and celery till the onion is translucent and soft. Remove the onion and celery, add the chops in the hot pan, turn the chops after 3 minutes or brown on each side. Remove the lamb chops and any remaining juices, and place with the celery and onion.
Slowly add the wine to the pan to deglaze and cook till about half the wine is reduced, add water and Worcester sauce, bring back to a boil and add the lamb chops, onion, celery, and juices back to the pan cover and simmer for 60 minutes.
*I appreciate the lighter wine, some say any white wine will do, Chardonnay has a more robust flavor, and Pinot Grigio to me gives it a subtle flavor bite.
I like to serve this dish with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. An excellent red wine will round out the meal nicely.
Do not shoot the messenger; if you have a dinner party with this dish, make sure to have some mint jelly on hand. Some people insist that all lamb must come with mint jelly and if you went to the trouble to have a beautiful dinner, let them have their condiments at least it is not ketchup.