- 2 racks of lamb, cut into chops (you should get 7-8 chops per rack)
- 1 cup unsalted pistachios
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
In the bowl of a food processor, finely chop the pistachios with the thyme, rosemary, basil and bread crumbs. Add half of the olive oil and process to a paste; season with salt and pepper. Scrape half of the pistachio paste into a small bowl and stir in the remaining olive oil.
When ready to cook, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and when you know the pan is nice and hot, salt & pepper the lamb chops and cook 2-3 minutes without touching. Turn chops over and pat the pistachio paste on top. Cook on other side the same amount of time.
Remove chops to plate and let rest about 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining chops until all are cooked. If the pan starts to smoke, turn the heat down.
Sauce:
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced shallot
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1 cup port wine
- 1 cup chicken demi-glace
- 3 tablespoons butter
In a small sauce pan on low heat add olive oil, garlic & shallot. Sauté until golden. Deglaze the pan with port & cherries. Add chicken demi-glace and cook over low heat. Reduce by half. Right before serving, add the butter.