Lamb Chops with Cilantro-Mint Sauce

Wolfgang Puck is a legend among food lovers and cooks. His food is always well thought out and tastes at least as good as it looks and sounds on the menu. Here is an adaptation of a lamb chop he made popular at his restaurants. The cilantro-mint marinade flavors the lamb chops and doubles as a finishing sauce for the grilled or pan-seared meat, lending a colorful finish to the plate. The clever cook could also use the marinade and sauce on grilled shrimp, scallops, or sea bass.–Diane Rossen Worthington
LC Weeknight Mayhem Note: This implausibly easy, elegant dinner is just as lovely if you forego the time-consuming marinade. Instead, just season the chops with salt and pepper before cooking and then drizzle the finished chops with the aromatic green-flecked sauce before serving. All you need to do is blitz the sauce in the blender while the chops are resting. It’s that simple. Honest.

Active time: 10 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes, not including marinating

Lamb Chops with Cilantro-Mint Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

For the cilantro-mint marinade and sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup canola or other mild vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the lamb chops
8 rib lamb chops, up to 3/4-inch thick
Fresh mint or cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions

Make the cilantro-mint sauce
1. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine all of the marinade ingredients and process until completely blended and smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.
2. Place the lamb chops in a resealable plastic bag and pour in 1/4 cup of the marinade. Turn the lamb in the bag to coat it evenly. Close the bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, turning once or twice. Refrigerate the remaining unused marinade, er, sauce.
Grill the lamb chops
3. Place the lamb chops in a resealable plastic bag and pour in 1/4 cup of the marinade. Turn the lamb in the bag to coat it evenly. Close the bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, turning once or twice. Refrigerate the remaining unused marinade, er, sauce.
4. Place the lamb chops on serving plates, criss-crossing the ends for a pretty presentation. Spoon the remaining refrigerated sauce over the top and garnish with mint or cilantro leaves.

From: Leite's Culinaria

Friday, June 8, 2012