My honey surprised me with a fantastic addition to my ever-growing cookbook collection: Claudia Roden's The Food of Spain. During a recent trip to the bookstore, he had observed me thumbing through this immense tome. I later discovered he had conspiratorially took a picture of it to add to his list of birthday surprises.
Do I have a winner, or what?
Of course he goes an extra step to choose a recipe and buy all the ingredients so I can break in my lovely new cookbook right away. I was told after the meal he went to the market and specifically asked advice from the butcher on the perfect meat and cut to go along with some fig balsamic I acquired on the birthday trip he took me on. The vinegar is locally infused by Hollywood Olive Oil Co. of Madeira Beach, FL and has a luscious, slightly thick texture that went along perfectly we the lamb recipe he chose.
I couldn't think of a better way and better meal to celebrate this past birthday. There's nothing like the instant gratification of having all the ingredients at hand to start using a long-lusted after cookbook thoughtfully given by the one you love. Sharing a delicious, freshly prepared meal pretty much defines happiness in my life. Thank you to my honey for making this past birthday so incredibly personal and memorable.
Tiny Grilled Lamb Chops with Potatoes - chuletitas de cordero a la parilla con patatas, Murcia
adapted from The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden
Serves 2
Ingredients:
For the potatoes:
1 lg. onion, cut in half and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb. waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock, more as needed
For the lamb chops:
1 rack of lamb (6-8 chops)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1. For the potatoes, fry the onion in the oil in a large covered skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft.
2. Add the potatoes and cook over low heat, stirring and turning them with a spatula and adding salt and pepper, until the potatoes and onion are lightly golden, about 10 mins.
3. Pour in the chicken stock and cook, covered, over low heat for about 15 mins., until the stock is absorbed and the potatoes are tender, adding more stock if necessary.
4. Meanwhile, brush the chops all over with olive oil.
5. Heat an oiled plancha (flat griddle) or heavy skillet over high heat and cook the cutlets for 2-3 mins. on each side, just until they are browned on the outside but still very pink and juicy on the inside; do not overcook them.
6. Season the chops with salt and pepper and serve beside or on top of the potatoes.
*cook's notes: Before serving, I threw in a handful of chopped parsley into the potatoes for color and a bit of verdant freshness to cut the richness of the starch. I also squeezed a bit of lemon on the chops as soon as I took them off Jon's grandma's cast-iron grill which I used to cook them. I finished with a drizzle of the fig balsamic once the potatoes and chops were plated.
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