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.

Andouille Sausage with Warm Fennel & Endive Salad over Polenta

Anyone who has ever watched Emeril on the Food Network knows about andouille sausage because it was one of his favorite ingredients. But in case you don’t know, here’s a little primer:

1. Andouille sausage originated in France before making its way to America, where it is commonly used in Cajun delicacies like jumbalaya and gumbo.
2. Andouille sausage is made from pork and usually heavily spiced with pepper and garlic. Down in Cajun country, andouille is smoked over pecan wood and sugar cane, which give the sausage its smoky hallmark.
3. Andouille sausage is ridiculously delicious. Try some if you never have. You’ll love it.

In this dish, the andouille is sauteed quickly and and presented with a warm salad that is a cinch to put together. The overall preparation is simple but there is one catch – you must plan ahead by a few hours because you need to cook the polenta and then give it time to cool down before you can finish preparing the rest of the whole meal. You can even make the polenta the day before if that makes your life easier. Or, buy premade polenta at the supermarket. Look for it near the Italian specialty foods, like the capers and marinated artichokes. Premade polenta is usually wrapped in plastic and shaped like a cylinder. Peel off the wrapper, slice and saute. Very easy.

ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE WITH WARM FENNEL & ENDIVE SALAD OVER POLENTA

4 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking polenta
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil

12 ounces andouille sausage, cut on the diagonal into 1 inch thick slices
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium fennel bulb
1 head of Belgian endive
1 small yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
4 or 5 sprigs of fresh parsley

For the polenta:

Heat water and salt to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly in one direction until all of the polenta is in the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon until the polenta thickens, about five minutes. Stir in butter, pepper and dried parsley.

Pour into a greased 9 inch square or circle pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. Polenta will become firm to the touch. Once firm, turn out onto a cutting board and slice into nine wedges.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add a few slices of the polenta and saute until lightly browned, about three minutes. Flip over carefully and brown the other side. Remove to platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and polenta.

OR

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush the polenta wedges with the olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned on top, about five minutes. Flip over and brown the other side. Remove to platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

For the andouille, fennel and endive salad:

Shave the fennel, endive and onion using a mandoline or slice very thinly with a sharp knife.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the andouille in a single layer and saute until browned and crisp. Turn over pieces and brown the other side. You might need to cook the andouille in two batches. Remove the andouille and place on the platter with the polenta.

Add the teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes, until slightly softened.

Add the fennel and garlic. Saute for two or three minutes, until the fennel softens but isn’t too limp.

Add the endive and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the fennel mixture onto the platter. Cover to keep warm.

Add the red wine vinegar and olive oil to the pan. Whisk to combine, scraping up any brown bits that have collected on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the dijon mustard. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the warm dressing over the fennel mixture.

Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Roast Chicken with Herbes de Provence

We eat a lot of chicken at my house because it’s inexpensive and a small roaster is the perfect size for our little family. Over the years, I’ve experimented with numerous ways to roast a chicken but lately I keep coming back to this recipe because I love the pairing of orange and herbes de provence, a classic French herb blend. The deliciously floral aroma and delicate flavor of herbes de provence are usually created by mixing lavender, tarragon, bay leaf, chervil, dill and thyme. Actually, each maker’s blend of herbes de provence will vary a little depending upon their personal taste but, in my opinion, herbes de provence must include lavender and tarragon as the top notes to be the real deal.

Simple meals are often the best meals. Roast chicken is a classic so it doesn’t need a lot of fancy side dishes to support it. Try serving up some steamed green beans topped with a pat of sweet butter and some wild rice or roasted potatoes.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH HERBES DE PROVENCE

4 pound whole chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 orange
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon herbes de provence
1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
2/3 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse chicken, inside and out, with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in roasting dish.

Use your fingers to massage the olive oil all over the skin of the chicken.

Halve the orange and juice over the chicken. Place the orange halves and the garlic inside the cavity.

Evenly sprinkle the skin with the herbes de provence, the fennel seed, kosher salt and white pepper.

Truss the chicken with kitchen twine.

Roast in the oven for one hour and fifteen minutes, up to one hour and thirty minutes. A meat thermometer should register 170 degrees when placed in the thigh (make sure the thermometer isn’t touching bone).

Place chicken on a serving platter and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes while you make the pan sauce.

Place roasting pan on stove burner over medium heat. Spoon off any excess fat so that only a tablespoon or so remains.

Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook for a couple of minutes but do not allow to brown too much.

Add the white wine and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth.

Cook for a few more minutes until the sauce is thickened.

Check seasoning before serving. You may wish to add a little more salt or pepper.

Serves 4.