Lamb Chops With Lemon Potatoes
The first time I cooked lamb chops with lemon potatoes, I didn’t intend to blog the dish. When you have a food blog, meals fall into categories: destined to be blogged, never-ever, murky maybe. Then there’s a whole category entitled: this is just dinner. Of course these hastily assembled meals are invariably the best of all, leaving you cursing yourself for not keeping notes.
Lack of notes notwithstanding, I cook versions of lamb with lemon potatoes often enough to remember what I did, and replicated it easily enough.This recipe–the potatoes, really–is adapted from Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking, a treasure trove of recipes even for those lacking in clay pots.
The original recipe calls for lamb shanks cooked in a tserepa, described by Wolfert as a clay dome. After marinating the potatoes in a bath of lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs, the lamb shanks and potatoes are cooked separately, then united in the oven for a final blast of heat. In lieu of pricier lamb shanks, I use lamb chops, which I cook with the potatoes.
Using a single pot saves time and washing up; add a salad and flatbread and dinner is served. The dish improves over time, so feel free to cook it ahead and park it in the fridge for a couple days. This is a real a boon if, say, a cortisone injection temporarily imperils your ability to locomote, or more prosaically, you just want a break from cooking. It’s also worth mentioning that lamb chops and potato get along famously, aided here by their friends paprika, fennel seed, coriander, and oregano. Of course they would be bereft without salt and pepper, disoriented without olive oil, miserable without lemon and garlic. Wouldn’t we all?
Lamb Chops With Lemon Potatoes
Adapted from Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking
Serves: 2 (ingredients easily multiplied)
Preparation time: minimum 90 minutes, up to 5 hours if utilizing maximum marination time
For the potatoes:
1 1/4 pounds (approximately 6-7 medium) Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and quartered (see note)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cold water
For the lamb chops:
2 bone-in lamb shoulder chops, preferably organic
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 cardamom pod, crushed to extract seeds (optional)
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Begin with the potatoes. Scrub them well. Peel them if you wish; I am usually too lazy. Quarter potatoes. In a large bowl, soak in cold water to cover for thirty minutes. Drain well, shake dry.
In the same bowl, add all marinade ingredients and leave at room temperature minimum 1/2 hour, up to two hours.
Turn to the lamb. Rub all over with lemon juice, then add lamb marinade ingredients, minimum 1/2 hour, up to two hours. While Wolfert advises leaving lamb unrefrigerated, use your judgement regarding the temperature of your kitchen. If too warm, do refrigerate, allowing meat to come to room temperature before cooking.
To cook:
Select a heavy, lidded casserole that may be used stovetop. Staub pans must be heated slowly, which adds to cooking time, so I must factor this in when using the “Everyday Pan,” but find it worth the few extra minutes cooking time. Choose a vessel with a minimum 3-quart capacity. Begin with the potatoes, tipping them into the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn heat down to brisk simmer. Cook until potatoes are almost tender but not quite done; i.e.; al dente.
Add the lamb chops and all their marinade on top. Put the lid back on. Lamb chops cook fairly quickly; check after four minutes or so. If juices are pooling at the top of the meat, flip them over. Cook another four minutes.
Doneness is a question of taste. Some like lamb pink, others prefer lamb more cooked. If you’re unsure, the kitchen police won’t come knocking if you discreetly slice into a piece.
Plate. Serve. Eat immediately, or allow to cool, refrigerate, and consume with relish a couple days later.
Notes: Wolfert peels her potatoes. Lazily, I don’t. The choice is yours.
To cook in the oven for more people, start with the potatoes at 325F. Check after about 35 minutes: potatoes should be almost cooked through. If not, cook ten minutes more and check again; you may need to add more olive oil. Add lamb atop potatoes, cook ten minutes. You will not need to flip the chops, but check to avoid overcooking meat.
If your market carries BN Lamb, this is Niman Lamb, that is, Bill Niman of Niman Ranch, now bringing his impeccable farming credentials to lamb. Yep, it’s a little more money. Yep, it’s totally worth it.
