Saturday, April 29, 2006
Lamb Chops with Lemon and Mint
It's been a while since I felt so lost while food shopping. I was wandering around Dublin today like a child looking for her mother. I circled the market twice and came away with only a few bits and pieces that didn't really combine to make anything. Jenny was nearly sold out of cooking vegetables and Lofty and I are just not ready yet for salads. Too wet, too cold. I walked away with some herbs, some lettuce and a few greens, but somehow I still managed to spend €12. Must have been the jam I couldn't resist. My visit to Dennis's stall went similarly badly and the fishmonger was even worse. He only had plaice left and that just didn't appeal to me at the time. So, let me recap, I've just run around in circles for an hour and in the process exchanged €25 for a bagful of vegetables that together don't even make one dinner, let alone four.I was going to go to Marks & Spencer as well, but somehow I now lack the drive to cycle (is that really the right expression?) to Grafton Street. I think it was really the thought of a packed city centre and a shop full of young, stylish career people on the lookout for ready meals that put me off the trip. Instead, I went down Georges Street and stopped into Dunnes. There, I picked up more stuff I didn't even know I needed (cream, yoghurt, mascarpone cheese, a few jam doughnuts), and then, desperate for some dinner, continued on towards Liston's.
On the way I passed a butcher's shop that had caught my eye before. "Free Range Lamb and Beef" reads the sign outside. Inside, I found a totally unexciting tiled room, the focus of which was a well-worn solid wood butcher's table. On the side was a small display counter with some meat that did not look like stopping was worth my while. But the window was packed full with very nice looking chunks of beef and lamb as well as free range chickens, sausages and pork chops, so I decided to stay and watch as the little old lady in front of me did her shopping. I think she's been coming here for years, for the butcher knew her well. And she knew what she wanted. Whether it was on display or not, she read of one thing after the next sending him running between the back room and the table with large slabs of meat. And that's when I realised what his strength was. It's not the beautiful display or the stylish interior, it is the quality and selection (albeit hidden) of locally farmed meats and his expertise in cutting them right in front of the customers' eyes. You get exactly what you want in the quantity you need. And the price is definitely right too. So, if you're ever near Wexford Street pop into the little butcher's on the east side of the street just north of Whelan's. It's well worth a trip.
After having spent more than the allowance I give myself every week, I decided to skip Liston's and headed straight home. A wise choice, I had been out for nearly 2 hours and Lofty was starting to get worried. I was really going to make another rhubarb crumble today, but we're out of thick cream and I didn't feel like going all the way to Marks & Spencer to get some. Instead I spent some extra time looking for ideas for the beautiful little lamb chops I had bought. After the mess I made of the roast at Easter, I think I owe Lofty a good lamb dish for a change. And, of course, there was my hurt pride. I needed to prove to myself that I was not to be beaten by any food. I think I achieved both with my Lamb Chops with Lemon and Mint accompanied by boiled new potatoes and baby spinach.
For the lamb:
4 lamb chops
4 tbsp olive oil
½ lemon, zest and juice
10 to 15 mint leaves
salt and pepper to taste
For the spinach:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, halved and then sliced
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
250 g baby spinach
a pinch sea salt
For the potatoes:
10 small new potatoes
a small knob of butter
Strange as it may sound, you should start with the spinach. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan. When the mixture is bubbling, add the onion. Stir and reduce the heat to low. Sauté uncovered until the onion is golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the onion from burning.
Put the potatoes into a saucepan and add enough water to just cover them. Bring to the boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Season the chops on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix the olive oil with the lemon zest, the mint and a little salt and pepper.
About 10 minutes before the potatoes are cooked, warm the olive oil and lemon mixture in a shallow, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. As it starts to sizzle, add the lamb chops and allow them to colour for a couple of minutes.
In the meantime finish off the spinach. Add the garlic to the browned onion, stir once, then add the spinach. Cover and cook until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add a few drops of water or white wine if the spinach appears dry, but do not overdo it. Season to taste with the sea salt.
Once the spinach has gone into the pot, turn the lamb chops over and cook the other side until browned, making sure that the lemon and mint aren't burning. The meat should remain juicy and pink within and go golden brown on the surface. Lift the chops on to 2 warm plates.
Pour the lemon juice into the pan that the lamb was cooked in and let it bubble for a few seconds, scraping at the gooey sediment left behind by the chops and stirring it in. Drain the potatoes and arrange them on the plate with the chops. Pour the lemon sauce over them and serve with the spinach on the side.
Christine at 10:54 pm
