Spiced Lamb Chops and Smashed Peas
I found this recipe in the new Real Simple magazine, and the idea of seasoning the lamb with curry powder, and then cooking them without a sauce, intrigued me. The verdict? Three thumbs up. One from Ted, one from me, one from Maya. They were lovely, although the success of the dish probably depends on the quality of the lamb, and of the curry powder that you can find. Ted’s mom hooks us up with some amazing curry powder, and I splurged on the lamb for this one. Really good. Also, really easy and quick, with dinner on the table within 30 minutes.
Spiced Lamb Chops and Smashed Peas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 lamb chops
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- kosher salt and pepper
- 4 shallots, chopped
- 3 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
- 2 pieces pita bread, torn into large pieces and lightly toasted
Directions
- Heat oven to 400° F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chops with the curry powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Working in batches, brown the chops in the skillet, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet. Roast to the desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes for medium-rare.
- Wipe out skillet. Heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Add the peas and gently smash with the back of a fork or a potato masher. Cook until heated through.
- Remove skillet from heat and stir in the lemon juice, mint, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve with the lamb and pita bread.
5 Comments
C
Mmmmmm! Sounds like a dish that we are going to have to try at our home! To be honest, I have never been a fan of lamb. I know…*gasp*! My mom is mortified every time she hears me say that because she LOVES lamb. Anyway, I guess if done right, I’d probably like it! 🙂 This dish sounds divine!
J
C, you know how ‘marbling’ (fat) in beef makes it yummy? Not so much the case in lamb. In lamb, it gives it that gamey flavor that many people do not like. One trick to enjoying lamb is to buy more expensive pieces of meat, like the chops you see here, or leg of lamb. Another is to squirt some lemon juice on the lamb before you proceed with whatever recipe you’re using. Or, trim the fat. But the #1 trick is, don’t buy cheap lamb. 😉
Give it a try maybe, when your mom is over. Then if you don’t like it, she can eat it, and you can eat something else. HA!
Irish Jewelry
That looks delicious! Lamb seemed more of a staple in Ireland than here in the US. I finally convinced my wife to try it a couple of years back, but I think we got some suspect meat – even though it came from a decent source (Whole Foods).
For some reason, the mention of curry powder just has me wanting to give it another shot.
Jimmy
I had a truck driver friend who wound up in some out of state restaurant and he got what he thought was the best looking pork chop he had ever laid his eyes on?
He got to his table and cut into the chop and the funk hit him??? He called the waitress over and said “Ma’am…..I believe this pork chop is bad….it smells terrible”!
She says ” Sir……that’s not a pork chop…it’s a lamb chop and it’s supposed to smell like that”!
He says’….”Ma’am……there ain’t nothin’ on MY plate that’s supposed to smell like that””””!!!!!!!!
Needless to say he traded his lammy chop in on something else!!!!
J
Jimmy, we never ate lamb growing up. We didn’t eat steak too often either, because it was expensive. Sometimes at a friend’s house, I would stay for dinner, and it would be steak. Hmmm. Maybe this steak is starting to turn? I just ate it, as it never made me sick. Then I grew up and met Ted, whose family eats a lot more lamb than beef. He made me dinner one night, lamb chops, and I said, “Oh, THAT’S what that was all those years…not steak, but lamb!” It’s definitely a distinctive flavor, isn’t it?