Lamb Chops with Blueberry Sauce

By now we’ve all heard about the amazing antioxidant benefits of eating blueberries so we can agree that, at a mere 83 calories per cup, blueberries are amazingly good for you. And you and I have chatted before about how easy it is to use frozen blueberries in your baking when you can’t find fresh. We’ve also talked about pairing blueberries with champagne and sorbet for a simple yet elegant dessert. So now let’s turn our attention to using blueberries in a savory recipe that combines blueberries, herbes de provence (for a little French flair, ooh la la) and red wine to create a sauce for tender lamb chops. The sweet-tart flavor of the blueberries and the floral aroma of the herbes de provence gently tame the slightly gamy flavor of lamb.

This dish is really easy to prepare so it’s great for everyday dinners but still chic enough for a dinner party. If you cook this for a dinner party, you can prepare the lamb and the sauce up to an hour ahead of time, leaving out the butter at the end. Hold in a low oven with the door slightly ajar until ready to serve. I like to preheat the oven to 225 degrees and then turn it off before I put in the lamb to wait for my guests. Make sure that the oven isn’t too hot because you don’t want to accidentally overcook the lamb, which should be cooked to medium if you follow the recipe directions. Swirl the butter into the sauce right before serving.

LAMB CHOPS WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE

8 lamb loin chops or rib chops
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 shallot, finely minced
1/3 cup red wine
1/2 pint blueberries, washed and any stems removed
1 teaspoon herbes de provence
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

Season lamb on all sides with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.

Saute lamb on both sides until browned, about two and a half minutes per side. If you prefer a more well done chop, add another minute per side. Use your good judgment.

Remove lamb from pan and place on a plate.

Add shallots to pan and saute until translucent, stirring frequently.

Add blueberries and saute until the fruit begins to break down, about five minutes.

Add the red wine and herbes de provence.

Raise heat and bring to a quick boil.

Lower heat to medium-low. Add lamb back to the pan and simmer gently for a few minutes.

Swirl in the cold butter to thicken the sauce.

To serve, arrange the chops on a platter and spoon the sauce over the top.

Serves 4.

Curry Lime Grilled Chicken

The first time I ate Indian food was in the West End of London during my study abroad program. My friend Moshe was mortified, rightfully so, that I had somehow managed to be on this planet for twenty years without ever tasting a samosa so he treated me to lunch on a sunny afternoon, but not before we tried to wheedle our way into the closed theatre where our hero Harold Pinter was rehearsing his (then) new play Ashes to Ashes. We were unsuccessful in our attempt to gaze upon our beloved Harold and we had to content ourselves with merely being in the same building as such a powerful creative force. We trudged off to the restaurant, slightly despondent but also laughing really hard because the guard on duty clearly thought we were stalkers or, at the very least, crazy Americans.

The name of the restaurant where we ate now escapes me but I will always remember my first taste of chicken curry. What a revelation! I grew up eating bland food and my family rarely ate out in restaurants so ethnic food wasn’t part of my life. But I was hooked after that first bite. I like to think that was the point where I became a lot more adventurous in my eating and open to tasting foods from other cultures. Curry Lime Grilled Chicken is my humble ode to the magnificent flavors of Indian cooking. There’s nothing quite like the first time you have a culinary epiphany but this recipe is my reminder of that great afternoon I spent with a friend way back when we were young and convinced that all the world was our stage.

CURRY LIME GRILLED CHICKEN

4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
4 garlic cloves, chopped
juice and zest of 3 limes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons good quality mild curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek

Place chicken pieces in a large zip-top bag or in a large, wide bowl.

Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Turn the chicken around in the marinade to ensure that each piece is coated.

If using a zip-top bag, gently press out excess air before closing. If using a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Marinate chicken in refrigerator at least 4 hours and up to 48 hours. Turn the chicken a couple of times to allow even marinating.

Heat grill to medium. Grill chicken, about eight minutes per side for larger pieces like the breast. Smaller pieces like the wing will take a few minutes less.

Tastes great hot, at room temperature or cold.

Serves 4 generously.

Food, Inc. Now Playing

There’s a lot of buzz right now about a little movie called Food, Inc. that takes an inside look at the effects of modern food production in the United States. Directed by Robert Kenner, Food, Inc. draws upon the works of many writers, including Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma). Variety magazine called it a “ civilized horror movie for the socially conscious, the nutritionally curious, and the hungry” so be forewarned that viewing this movie might spoil your next meal. That said, this movie raises numerous important issues that all of us, as socially conscious, health conscious and eco-conscious citizens, should know about.

Check out the trailer:

My Connecticut neighbors, you’re in luck! Food, Inc. is now playing at Real Art Ways Cinema in Hartford, starting tonight and continuing through July 9, 2009. Showtimes are at 7pm or 9pm and tickets are cheap. Click here for more info. I’ll probably go check out the movie sometime this week so drop me a line at revelandfeast@gmail.com if you want to come along.

If you don’t live in the Hartford area then you can look here to find a showing near you.

If you can’t make it to the movie, then please pick up a copy of the companion guide, also entitled Food, Inc. And I have to brag- the book was edited by my brilliant father-in-law Karl Weber!!