Lamb Loin Chops With Warm Polenta And Arugula Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• On the stovetop, brown the lamp, fat-side down, in a large roasting pan. Remove when nicely browned across its middle (you won't get much more than this) and set aside while you fry the shallots, garlic and carrot briefly. Just tip them into the pan - you won't need to add any more fat - and cook them, sprinkled with the salt, gently for a couple of minutes. Pour the water over and then replace the lamb, this time fat side up. Let the liquid in the pan come to a boil, then tent with foil and put in the preheated oven.
• Now just leave it there while you sleep. I find that if I put the lamb in before I go to bed, it's perfect by lunchtime the next day. But the point is, at this temperature, nothing's going to go wrong with the lamb if you cook it for a little less or a little more.
• If you want to cook the lamb the day you're going to eat it, heat the oven to 325 degrees F and give it 5 hours or so. The point is to find a way of cooking that suits you: you know what sort of pottering relaxes you and what makes you feel constrained; how much time you've got, and how you want to use it. Don't let the food, the kitchen or the imagined expectations of other people bully you.
• With the homily over, about 1 hour before you want to eat, remove the lamb from the pan to a large plate or carving board - not that it needs carving; the deal here is that it's unfashionably overcooked, falling to tender shreds a the touch of a fork. This is the best way to deal with shoulder of lamb: it's cheaper than leg, and the flavor it deeper, better, truer, but even good carvers, which I most definitely am not, can get unstuck trying to slice it.
• To finish the lamb salad, simply pull it into pieces with a couple of forks on a large plate. Sprinkle with more sea salt and some freshly chopped mint, then cut the pomegranate in 1/2 and dot with the seeds from 1 of the halves. This is easily done; there's a simple trick, which means you never have to think of winkling out the jeweled pips with a safety pin ever again. Simply hold the pomegranate 1/2 above the plate, take a wooden spoon and start bashing the curved skin side with it. Nothing will happen for a few seconds, but have faith. In a short while the glassy red, juicy beads will start raining down.
• Take the other 1/2 and squeeze the preposterously pink juices over the warm shredded meat. Take to the table and serve.
• What I do with the leftovers is warm a pita bread in the microwave, and then spread it with a greedy dollop of hummus, then take the chill off the refrigerated lamb in the microwave and stuff the already gooey pita with it. Add freshly chopped mint, black pepper and whatever else you like; raw, finely chopped red onion goes dangerously well.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Marinate lamb for several hours in the olive oil, rosemary and garlic. Heat an ovenproof saute pan over medium high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil from the marinade. Sear the meat on all sides. Cook until just shy of medium rare with an internal temperature of 107 degrees F.
• To make the sauce, add shallots to a small pot over medium heat with the white truffle oil. Stir until shallots begin to brown. Add tomato juice and reduce by half. Add lamb stock and reduce by 1/2. Lamb stock: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Put trimmings and meat in a shallow roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes, or until browned. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Add the trimmings and meat to the water and reduce heat to medium. When the water comes back to a boil, skim frequently until the scum stops rising, then add the remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered for at least 6 hours. Add additional water if the stock falls below the level of the ingredients. Strain and discard the solids. Let the stock cool to room temperature then refrigerate. Remove and discard the congealed fat layer from the top. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To keep longer, bring to a boil every 3 days. Polenta: Place the pine nuts on a sheet pan and roast in a 350 degree oven until brown. Remove from pan and roughly chop in a food processor and set aside. Bring the milk to a boil in a small pot. Add the polenta to the milk stirring constantly. Add the pine nuts and season with salt ands pepper. Pour polenta into a 2-inch half pan and cool. When cool use a 3-inch circular cutter to portion the polenta.

Steps:

• Season lamb chops with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Prepare a grill or grill pan for medium-high heat. Brush polenta slices lightly with oil on both sides.
• Working in batches if needed, grill scallions, jalapeño, lamb chops, and polenta slices until lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of lamb registers 125°F for medium-rare, 2-3 minutes per side. The scallions may take a couple minutes longer; you want them to be nice and tender before you remove them from the grill.
• Finely chop scallions and jalapeño. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add basil, lemon juice, 1/2 cup oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt and whisk to combine. Transfer 1/4 cup scallion sauce to a large bowl and whisk in yogurt and remaining 1/8 tsp. salt. Add lettuce and cherries and gently toss with your hands until thoroughly coated.
• Divide salad among plates. Arrange lamb and polenta alongside, then top both with remaining scallion sauce.
• Do Ahead
• Scallion sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine honey, 1 tablespoon oil, and thyme in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until just warm. Remove from heat. Pour 2/3 of honey mixture into small bowl. Place lamb on rack set in roasting pan; brush with half of honey mixture from bowl. Roast lamb 12 minutes; brush with remaining honey mixture from bowl. Continue to roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 125°F for medium-rare, about 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to cutting board.
• Meanwhile, add vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil to honey mixture in saucepan. Stir over low heat until just warm. Mix in nuts; discard thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cut lamb between ribs into chops. Divide arugula among plates. Top each serving with lamb chops. Drizzle warm dressing over and serve warm.