Lamb Chops with Mushroom & Pea Fricassee and Brown Butter Aioli

Serves - 4

The hard sear and slightly gamey flavors of the lamb chops pairs nicely with the big flavor and malty complexity that is Bigfoot Barley wine. The silky mouthfeel from the brown butter aioli cuts through the aroma and bitter notes of the aggressive hop profile. 

Ingredients

Mushroom & Pea Fricassee

• 6oz English peas

• 8 each cipollini onions, peeled

• 4 oz shiitake mushrooms

• 8 oz sugar snap peas

• 1 tbsp canola oil

• 1 tbsp butter, unsalted

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Brown Butter Aioli

• 2 each egg yolks

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tbsp cold water

• 1 cup canola oil

• 2 oz (1/2 stick) butter, unsalted

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• 1/8 tsp black pepper, ground

Seared Lamb Chops

• 8 each lamb T-bone chops

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• ½ tsp black pepper, ground

• 1 tbsp canola oil

• 2 tbsp butter, unsalted

• 4 tsp apple balsamic vinegar

Directions

Make the brown butter aioli.  Add butter to a sauté pan and heat over medium heat until the milk solids have browned and gives a nutty aroma.  Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. 

While butter cools you can start making the base of your aioli.  Using a food processor, add your egg yolks and Dijon mustard to the processer and turn on to blend.  While running, slowly drizzle the canola oil in a thin stream into the yolk mixture to emulsify.  If it becomes too thick, thin it out with the cold water and continue adding oil until you’ve used it all.  Add vinegar, cold water (if you have any left), salt and pepper.  Once the brown butter is cooled to room temperature, drizzle into aioli while food processor is running.  Remove aioli and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Blanch English peas; heat 4 cups water in a medium saucepan to a boil and season with 1 tsp kosher salt.  Add English peas and cook 3 minutes.  Remove peas and chill immediately in an ice water bath.

Prep the other vegetables; remove stems and slice shiitakes into ½ inch strips.  Cut the cipollini onions into quarters. Remove stems from sugar snap peas.

Cook the lamb chops; add canola oil to a large sauté pan and heat on high. Season the lamb chops liberally with salt and black pepper. Once the pain is hot (oil should shimmer), add the lamb and sear 3-4 minutes, turn, add butter to pan and sear the other side 3 minutes.  Rotate onto side with fat cap and sear 1 minute and then rotate to bone side and sear an additional 1 minute to achieve medium-rare.  You may have to adjust cooking time depending on the thickness of your chops and your preferred temperature. Remove from pan and allow to rest 5 minutes.

While the lamb is cooking; add canola oil to a large sauté pan and heat on medium-high. Add the cipollini onions and cook 2 minutes.  Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook an additional 6 minutes until cipollini onions and shiitakes are tender.  Add the sugar snap peas and cook an additional 2 minutes until snap peas are bright green and snap tender. Add English peas and cook an additional 1 minute.  Season with salt and black pepper.

Plate brown butter aioli, top with mushroom and pea fricassee, then lamb chops.  Drizzle with apple balsamic vinegar.

Pour a glass of Sierra Nevada Big Foot Barley Wine Ale and enjoy!