This week's French Garden recipe

People who know me would tell you that it's hard to tell which I like more: gardening or cooking. I'd say it depends on which I'm doing at the moment. Anyway, French cooking and French gardening go hand in hand. For me, cooking is an on-going adventure. Join me here on my culinary explorations, where I share with you both my old favorites as well as new inspirations. It's my fondest wish that these recipes serve as a springboard for your own new creations.

04/29/2004
Spring lamb chops grilled with green garlic and mint (Cotelets d'agneau grillées à l'ail vert et à la menthe)

Ingredients:

For 4 diners:

8-12 best quality lamb chops, depending on size and appetites
8 branches mint
4 stalks green garlic
1/2 t. black peppercorns
1 t. coarse sea salt (fleurs de sel)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Begin at least a couple of hours before serving. Chop the green garlic, using the white and light green parts of the stalk (green garlic has not yet formed bulbs and resembles a thin leek). Wash, dry, and strip the leaves off the mint, chopping them coarsely. Pound the peppercorns in a mortar, add the garlic, mint, and salt, and pound to a rough paste. Mix in the olive oil. Slather this mixture on both sides of the lamb chops and leave them to marinate in the refrigerator up to 12 hours or at room temperature for 2 hours. Grill them either on a hot stovetop grill or on a wood or charcoal fire very briefly. The chops should just be marked on the outside, and still very rare on the inside. Serve immediately with new garden potatoes simply roasted with olive oil and sea salt.

Note: This simple recipe was inspired by my recent trip to Corsica. It is delicious and a welcome change from the usual rosemary with lamb. If you can find wild mint, it will be even better.

Share

Products of Interest:
Olive-wood mortar and pestle
Extra large Provençal olive-wood mortar and pestle

Try some of our past French garden recipes:

Appetizers and small dishes

Basics

Beef, pork, lamb, and veal