Aurora Catering's

Seared Lamb Chops with Mint Merlot Sauce

Yield 8 - 10 dinner servings

Ingredients
3 LBS FRESH TRIMMED LAMB CHOPS
Marinade
½ CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
6 SPRIGS FRESH ROSEMARY
2 CUPS FRESH MINT LEAFS (Loosely packed)
2 CUPS  MERLOT
1 TBSP  MINCED GARLIC
2 TSP  GROUND BLACK PEPPER

1 LB  SLICED PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS
½ CUP  EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (For searing)
1 CUP BEEF STOCK
1 -1/2 TSP BROWN SUGAR

Method
Mix the ingredients of the marinade in a 2 inch hotel pan use a whisk to release the oils of the seasonings.
Arrange the lamb chops in the marinade, use a spoon to coat the tops of the chops. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Turn the meat 3 or 4 times.

Over very high heat, preheat a heavy cast iron skillet or griddle. Coat the skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil, heat until the oil starts to smoke. Add ½ of the lamb chops and sear the meat. Cook on one side for 2-3 minutes. Turn the meat and continue searing for an additional 2 -3 minutes. The chops should be cooked to a medium rare doneness. Do not over cook.

Repeat the above procedure for the remaining meat. Next, sear the mushrooms as you did above for the chops. On the last batch, reduce the heat to low and allow the pan to "coast" to the lower heat. Reserve meat and mushrooms warm.

De-glaze the skillet with the marinade and reduce by ½ or until the sauce coats the back of a chef’s spoon. Add the beef stock and brown sugar to the sauce. Strain the sauce through a wire China hat to remove the leafs and large bits of residue.

Alternate Method
Drain a 64 oz jar of  Marinated Whole Mushrooms for the Portabella Mushrooms.
Plate Presentation
Ladle on 1 oz of sauce on a serving plate and arrange 3 - 4 chops with mushrooms on top of the sauce, serve with a serving of Basmati Fried Rice. (See Recipe) Garnish with fresh mint leafs.

Chef's Notes:
It is important to remove the mint and rosemary leafs, they will turn brown when cooked and are not very appetizing to look at.

Mint the symbol of hospitality, Greek mythology claims that mint was once the nymph Mentha. She angered Pluto's wife Persephone, who turned her into this aromatic herb. There are over 30 species of mint, the two most popular and widely available being peppermint and spearmint. Peppermint is the more pungent of the two. It has bright green leaves, purple-tinged stems and a peppery flavor. Spearmint leaves are gray-green or true green and have a milder flavor and fragrance. Mint grows wild throughout the world and is cultivated in Europe, the United States and Asia. It's most plentiful during summer months but many markets carry it year-round. Choose leaves that are evenly colored with no sign of wilting.

(gifs courtesy of Linda Sawaya and Saudi Aramco World)

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for further details....ChefEmile@CustomCatering.net

Chef Emile L. Stieffel, Aurora Catering, Inc. email address: ChefEmile@CustomCatering.net
4016 Red Cypress Dr., Harvey, LA 70058 Phone (504) -329-1344
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Revised: December 20, 2011