Receta Seared Lamb Chops with Anchovies, Capers and Sage
Melissa Clark, Creator of great, simple recipes
For
a quick dinner with a little bit of panache, a lamb chop is just the
ticket. I’m particularly fond of
Costco’s loin lamb chops that have been perfectly trimmed. Two or three of
these at a sitting are a fine meal and quite budget friendly. The last time I did the math, each individual
chop cost $1.75. Not bad at all. The only problem I have had is that try as I
might, I’ve never cracked the code to make them anything but a simply grilled
lamb chop. I’ve soaked them in
Worcestershire sauce but that’s about it.
So I was pleased to come across this Melissa Clark take on lamb
chops. Ms. Clark of the New York Times
is a particular favorite of mine. She is a genius at uncomplicated, almost
fast, food. And this recipe comes
together in about 35 minutes always a plus when you’re pressed for time.
Capers, the way you likely know them...I thought seriously of changing the title of
the recipe to put the anchovies in last place because heaven knows they turn
off a lot of people. In Ms. Clark’s original article, she even advises not
telling anchovy haters that they’re in the dish until only the bones remain.
This is really a shame. Yes, anchovies
are super salty and ‘fishy’ but they break down quickly adding deep flavor to
any dish. That’s
The second element Ms. Clark adds are capers. These little green flavor enhancers are
actually pickled flower buds. They're a very pretty plant and ICaperberries growing on a wall in Italy
was
astonished, when visiting my Italian family, to have them pointed out to
me by Sofia. They were growing on a wall in the heart of Milano. Capers
give a burst of flavor to any dish
which is precisely what they do here. Finally, there’s sage. The sage adds yet another subtle layer of flavor. Altogether I was very pleased with how my lamb chops
tasted. I did alter the recipe slightly. Lately, I finish anything I sear in a
hot oven for just five minutes or so. I
am delighted with the results when I do.
Give this one a try next time you serve lamb chops. Here
is the recipe.
Recipe for Seared Lamb Chops with Anchovies, Capers and Sage from
Melissa Clark Takes 35 minutes.
Serves 2.
- 6 baby lamb chops (1
- 1/4 pounds)
- Salt
- pepper
- 3 tablespoons
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 3 tablespoons drained
- capers
- 15 sage leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper
- flakes
- 2 garlic cloves,
- finely chopped
- Lemon wedges, for
- serving
- 1. Rinse the lamb chops
- and pat them dry. Season them with salt and pepper, and let rest for 15
minutes.
2. Pre heat oven to 400
degrees
3. Over medium-high
heat, warm an ovenproof skillet large enough to hold all the chops in one layer. Add the
oil and when it shimmers, add the anchovies and capers. Cook, stirring, until
the anchovies break down, about 3 minutes.
4. Arrange the lamb
chops in the skillet and fry, without moving them, until brown, about 3
minutes. Turn them over, and toss the sage leaves and pepper flakes into the
pan. Cook until lamb reaches the desired doneness, about 2 minutes for
medium-rare. Put the lamb into the oven for five minutes to finish cooking.
4. Arrange the chops on
serving plates. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute, then spoon the
sauce over the lamb. Serve with the lemon wedges if you like.