Brioche Rosemary Crusted Lamb Loin Chops With a Shallot Fig Balsamic Reduction

Easter Dinner just got crazy fun, and full of interesting flavors. This delicious lamb dinner finishes in the oven and is gorgeous on the plate and features the addition of a roasted golden beet puree, and a mint gremolata! Your guests have never had anything like this!

ROSEMARY BRIOCHE CRUSTED LAMB

INGREDIENTS:

8 Lamb Loin Chops (2 per person)

3 C brioche bread cut into chunks and toasted under broiler

1 ½ T chopped fresh rosemary

1/3 C finely grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese

2 T chopped fresh shallot

1 ½ t kosher salt + ½ t black pepper

5 T Olivezia Rosemary Infused Olive Oil + 3 more T for cooking

2 T unsalted melted butter + 1 T for cooking

METHOD:

• Take room temperature lamb and make sure they’re patted dry of any moisture.
• Slice brioche bread and arrange on a baking sheet, and toast under broiler on both sides. Transfer toasted brioche pieces into a food chopper and gently blend until you get chunks that look similar in size to stuffing breadcrumbs. Don’t make them too fine! It should yield about 1 1/3 C of breadcrumbs.
• Put bread crumbs in a bowl. Add the rosemary, cheese, shallot, salt, and pepper, and set aside. You can do this a few hours before. Then blend the crumb mixture with the 5 T oil and 2 T melted butter. The mixture should just slightly come together when you squeeze it in your palm. If it needs more moisture, add some chicken stock, 2 T at a time and stir, until it starts to clump more easily. Don’t make into a paste. Should be just slightly crumbly. Top the lamb with this mixture when you turn them over. See steps below.
• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Bring a large iron skillet or nonstick pan to high heat and add the 1 T butter and 3 T rosemary oil. When shimmering and very hot, place loin chops in the pan. If they won’t fit in one pan with plenty of room between, use 2 pans. Sear the lamb until caramelized on one side. About 2 minutes. Turn and sear the other side for about 30-45 seconds.
• Now pull off burner and working quickly, top each chop with 1/8 of the portion of brioche crumb mixture, pressing down to make sure most of it stays on top. Place pan in oven and cook for 8 minutes until medium rare. Remove, and plate with the rest of the meal ingredients.

RECIPE FOR FIG & SHALLOT REDUCTION

 INGREDIENTS:

1 half of a small shallot, sliced thinly

¼ C Olivezia Fig Balsamic Vinegar

½ C chicken stock (or a good Cabernet if you prefer)

½ t salt + ½ t pepper

2 T salted butter

METHOD:

• Do this at least 2 hours before serving — In a small saucepan heat 1 T of the butter and fry the shallots until very soft and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cook for about 1 minute then slowly add the balsamic and the chicken stock. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes, WATCHING IT CAREFULLY so it doesn’t burn or boil over, to reduce.  Make sure it is bubbling a bit, so the evaporation continues. After 10 minutes, add the salt and pepper and the other 1 T of butter. Set aside to cool.

RECIPE FOR PUREED GOLDEN BEETS

INGREDIENTS:

• CAN DO THIS THE DAY BEFORE — 4 medium golden beets, or about 2 C worth when cooked and cut into large chunks, washed and wrapped tightly in foil. Bake in a 375° F oven on a middle rack, with the seal of the foil on the top (so it doesn’t drip on your oven!), for 45-50 minutes. Remove. Unwrap and let sit for about 5 minutes so you can handle them. Using a paper towel, rub the skin off each beet. Any peels that do not easily slide off gently remove with a paring knife. Cut into 2-inch chunks and add to a food processor, along with ¼ C heavy cream, 1 ½ t kosher salt + ¼ t black pepper. Blend until completely puréed. Keep warm or at room temperature until ready to serve.

RECIPE MINT GREMOLATA

 The classic gremolata is made with just parsley, but you can add any herb you like or play with additional flavors. This simply adds chopped mint which wakes up the sweet flavor of the lamb and leaves out the garlic so it won’t compete with the brioche crust.

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 C fresh Italian leaf parsley, very finely chopped

2 heaping T fresh mint leaves very finely chopped

Zest from one large lemon

¼ t kosher salt + 1/8 t black pepper

3 ½ t plain olive oil

Optional: ½ t grated fresh garlic

METHOD:

• Mix all ingredients together. Serve.