Lamb Chops with Carrot-Potato Crisps

Earlier in the year, a few close friends & I enjoyed a relative feast at a little Chinese spot in central LA. Family style is always my favorite way to eat when I'm out with pals, so of course, I downed about half of Shane's "rustic, Chinese country style" lamb dish. After gushing about the food & closing our tab I felt a bit bashful about eating half of his entree. Apologizing, Shane confessed that he didn't even like it that much. In fact, he didn't really even like lamb. Why he ordered it, I'll never know. I suppose an attempt at adventurous eating. Ray chimed in at this point agreeing. Lamb is just too gamey, was their gripe.

I, having forgot all about that dinner, decided to make lamb chops last night. So, if you've had bad experiences with lamb like Ray & Shane, don't fret. Lamb has a tendency to get a bit tough when cooked for very long, especially in dishes like stir-frys, so skip that. Pair it with flavors like cumin & fennel and it enhances the muskier, meatier essence -- that some just can't stomach.

Ditch those flavors, & bring out your fresh herbs. There's a reason lamb chops are so often paired with mint jelly. The simpler the preparation & flavor, the better these guys will taste. Drizzling the chops with a mint vinaigrette (recipe below) will really mellow out the lambs pungency & add a nice bright pop of mint in each bite.

Lamb Chops with Carrot-Potato Crisps

2 1" - 1 1/2" thick lamb chops (bone in please!)

2 tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped

1 shallot, minced

1 tsp. rice wine vinegar

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 yukon gold potatoes, grated

1/2 c. grated carrots

1 egg

1/4 c. bread crumbs

1 tsp. thyme

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Bring the oven up to 400F. In a small bowl, combine the mint, shallot, 1 tbsp. of the olive oil, vinegar, & a dash of salt & pepper.

Heat a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, season the lamb with salt & pepper (or with your favorite seasoning, mine's Cavender's).

Drizzle the pan with 1 tbsp. of the olive oil & brown the chops on both sides (about 2 minutes on each side). Transfer the skillet to the oven & roast for 6 - 8 minutes for medium chops. Remove from the skillet & set aside.

Recipe adapted from realsimple.com