my.requiescence.

Lamb Chops with Pistachio Tapenade

Recently I’ve been having some trouble sleeping. I have no problem falling asleep, in fact, often I’m ready to drop my head into my dinner, but I have been waking up in the middle of the night, but despite feeling exhausted, I am unable to fall back asleep. I’ve ramped up work in lab and also re-established some routine of physical exercise (so much for not making resolutions for the New Year?), and then battled a mild cold, but it hasn’t left much time or energy to clean the apartment or run some much needed errands (I only have one elastic hair tie left in my possession and am running dangerously low on clean underwear), or post about recent deliciousness on my Tumblr! This has contributed to my inability to fall back asleep when I wake in the middle of the night/ungodly early in the morning because I can’t stop worrying about all the things left undone at lab and at home… and an unplanned wedding (eek).

So here I am… it’s 3 am, I have failed for the last hour to fall back asleep, and since I don’t think my neighbors (or Andreas) would appreciate me vacuuming the apartment (even though it is in desperate need) at this hour, instead, I will take advantage of the extra time to share these fabulous lamb chops and catch up on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! 

I didn’t always like lamb chops, but have slowly acquired a love for them (as I have for coffee and tofu), though this love has certainly been accelerated by living with and loving a lamb-loving Greek. Some may complain that lamb is too “game-y”- to which I would argue makes it almost tastier than beef (I say “almost” because I could never choose between lamb and beef if I could only bring one meat to eat for the rest of my life on a desert island) because it’s distinct and tastes like.. well, an animal. But even if you think that lamb is not your favorite type of meat, this recipe is not just for lamb but also for a tasty pistachio and olive tapenade. Roasted pistachios, briney green olives, capers, fresh parsley and oregano, and lemon makes a unique, fresh-tasting and light tapenade. The lamb chops are seared first to get nice and caramelized, then finished in the oven topped with the briney and nutty mixture to make a truly mouth-watering combination. Man, I think I just made myself hungry.

The recipe makes more than enough tapenade for more than one rack of lamb, which you can then enjoy the next day in a toasted sandwich! Or on a second rack of lamb…

Lamb Chops with Pistachio Tapenade
from Smitten Kitchen, via Anne Burrell

1/2 cup pistachios, shelled and toasted
1/2 cup pitted green (what I used) or Cerignola (what Burrell recommends) olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves (nixed because mine had gone bad)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested
1 (8-rib) rack of lamb or 6 lamb chops
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Pistachio tapenade:

In a food processor combine the pistachios, olives, capers, garlic, herbs and puree. While the machine is running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until the mixture becomes a paste. Add the zest and pulse 1 more time, drizzling in more oil if necessary. Reserve until ready to use.

Prepare rack of lamb:

1. Remove 2 rib bones from the 8 rib rack to make it a 6-rib rack. Counting from either end, remove the 2nd and 7th bones; this will create 6 even chops that are thicker than a normal lamb chop. Cut 6 even chops.
2. Season your six lamb chops generously on either side with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow them to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large saute pan generously with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. 
4. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the lamb chops and cook for about 2 minutes on each side to brown. If the pan begins to smoke, lower the heat. The chops should be beautifully caramelized on both sides. 
5. Remove the chops to a sheet pan and schmear generously with the pistachio tapenade. 
6. Place in preheated oven and cook another 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare. Remove chops from oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.