Broiled Lamb Chops With Nigella’s Mint Sauce & Roasted Asparagus

Nigella Lawson’s mint sauce first appeared on our Easter table in 2003, the same year the Easter Egg Nest Cake made its debut, both recipes having appeared in the New York Times earlier that week.

Unlike the Easter Egg Nest cake, which we loved — really, we did — the mint sauce returned to the table every following Easter, the fresh combination of mint and parsley, olive oil and vinegar, capers and cornichons the perfect accompaniment to lamb no matter the preparation — roasted racks , braised shanks, broiled meatballs , pan-seared chops .

Bright green and fresh, this sauce bears no resemblance to mint jelly and tastes more like a salsa verde or a nut- and cheese-free pesto. It complements the lamb so well, but it’s the kind of sauce you’ll end up drizzling all over your plate, dragging your spears of roasted asparagus through, and mopping up with your bread throughout your meal.

When I began planning my Easter menu a few weeks ago, I briefly entertained the idea of borrowing my aunt and uncle’s spit, making a vat of this mint sauce, and inviting all of Niskayuna to our backyard for a Greek Easter celebration, whole-roasted lamb, spanakopita , and baklava included.

A number of circumstances namely an upcoming move (just a few blocks away, nbd) led me to scale back. Most likely I will be serving my two guests these lamb chops, seasoned with salt, pepper and oregano, broiled for three minutes a side, a meal that takes minutes to prepare, one my mother often made for my siblings and me as children, something I still love today.

A truly simple Easter dinner: broiled lamb chops with mint sauce; peasant bread ; roasted asparagus; lemon-ricotta cheesecake for dessert (coming soon).

Incidentally, I desperately need new sheet pans and have been browsing around the web for new ones. So far I’ve purchased one of these quarter sheet pans (this size: 13×9.625×1.375-inch), and I love it. Never thought I would use this size so much, but it has already been so handy:

• lamb chops (rib chops versus loin chops if possible)

• kosher salt

• freshly cracked pepper

• oregano

• lemon wedges ( cut the pretty way )

• mint sauce (recipe below)

1. Preheat the broiler to high for a good 20 minutes if possible. Meanwhile, bring your lamb chops to room temperature (the 20 minutes while the broiler is preheating is fine).
2. Season both sides all over with salt, pepper and oregano. Place on a broiling pan.
3. Broil 3 minutes a side. Pile onto a platter. Let rest for at least five minutes. Drizzle mint sauce lightly over top or pass on the side. Serve lemon wedges on the side, too.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Lamb
• Method: Broiler
• Cuisine: Greek

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Cut ends off asparagus. Arrange on sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper to taste. Toss. Arrange in single layer. Roast until edges are crispy, 15 to 20 minutes.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Vegetable
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Description

Adapted from Nigella Lawson , original recipe in NYTimes here .

Note: Original recipe calls for 16 cornichons — sometimes I use them, sometimes I don’t. Didn’t have them when I made the sauce most recently, and I didn’t miss them. It’s your call.

• 2 cups loosely packed mint
• 2 cups loosely packed parsley
• 1 to 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons capers
• 16 cornichons, optional
• pinch salt
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• pinch sugar

1. Process mint and parsley leaves in a food processor until finely chopped. Scrape down side of processor. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, olive oil, capers, cornichons (if using), pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar, and process to combine. Taste. Add the additional tablespoon of vinegar if necessary (I always do) and more salt, pepper and sugar if necessary. Process again, taste, adjust, etc. Transfer to serving bowl.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes

• Category: Sauce

• Method: Food Processor

• Cuisine: Greek

• lamb chops (rib chops versus loin chops if possible)

• kosher salt

• freshly cracked pepper

• oregano

• lemon wedges ( cut the pretty way )

• mint sauce (recipe below)

1. Preheat the broiler to high for a good 20 minutes if possible. Meanwhile, bring your lamb chops to room temperature (the 20 minutes while the broiler is preheating is fine).
2. Season both sides all over with salt, pepper and oregano. Place on a broiling pan.
3. Broil 3 minutes a side. Pile onto a platter. Let rest for at least five minutes. Drizzle mint sauce lightly over top or pass on the side. Serve lemon wedges on the side, too.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Lamb
• Method: Broiler
• Cuisine: Greek

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2014/04/09/broiled-lamb-chops-with-nigellas-mint-sauce/

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Cut ends off asparagus. Arrange on sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper to taste. Toss. Arrange in single layer. Roast until edges are crispy, 15 to 20 minutes.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Vegetable
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2014/04/09/broiled-lamb-chops-with-nigellas-mint-sauce/

Description

Adapted from Nigella Lawson , original recipe in NYTimes here .

Note: Original recipe calls for 16 cornichons — sometimes I use them, sometimes I don’t. Didn’t have them when I made the sauce most recently, and I didn’t miss them. It’s your call.

• 2 cups loosely packed mint
• 2 cups loosely packed parsley
• 1 to 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons capers
• 16 cornichons, optional
• pinch salt
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• pinch sugar

1. Process mint and parsley leaves in a food processor until finely chopped. Scrape down side of processor. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, olive oil, capers, cornichons (if using), pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar, and process to combine. Taste. Add the additional tablespoon of vinegar if necessary (I always do) and more salt, pepper and sugar if necessary. Process again, taste, adjust, etc. Transfer to serving bowl.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Sauce
• Method: Food Processor
• Cuisine: Greek

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2014/04/09/broiled-lamb-chops-with-nigellas-mint-sauce/

The virtues of cheesecake are as follows: it is incredibly easy to throw together; it can be made a day in advance; it feeds many people; and people generally love it. This one, made with both ricotta and mascarpone, and both lemon juice and zest is a huge crowd pleaser.

Unlike classic New York-style cheesecake, this lemon-ricotta cheesecake is sheathed by a simple cookie-crumb dusting, which allows it to come together in no time. Its silky texture tastes both rich and light at the same time, and though a small slice will suffice, it’s nearly impossible to resist seconds.

PS: Lemon-Ricotta Pound Cake

PPS: Lemon-Coconut Date Balls

These are the cookies my mother always uses for her cookie crusts — they are so good and made with seven ingredients all of which you can pronounce: flour, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda:

The lemon zest is key in this cheesecake — it complements the ricotta so nicely and just adds a lovely bright flavor.

Ready for its water bath:

Description

Adapted from The New York Times

Notes:

• Plan ahead! This takes time to make and bake and chill — it must chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

• You’ll need a 10-inch springform pan for this recipe.

• Ricotta: You must use whole milk ricotta here. Low-fat will leave the cheesecake with a gritty texture. Calabro brand, sold at Whole Foods, is nice. If you are serving this the same day you are making it, bake it first thing in the morning. As noted above, this can be made a day in advance. Bring to room temperature briefly before serving.

• Fresh ricotta versus not : Fresh is best. My mother always uses fresh, but keep in mind you will need three pounds, which can get pricey. Most recently I made two using standard grocery store ricotta, and I still thought it was completely delicious, but several commenters have not had success with non-fresh ricotta, so I am advising to use fresh ricotta only here. Cooking times will vary dramatically depending on your oven, the pan you are using for the water bath and what type of fresh ricotta you are using. Start checking at 1 hour and 15 minutes.

• The cookie crust is more of a cookie dusting than a crust — it melts into the cheesecake making it almost undetectable. It’s a subtle touch, but still really nice. Use whatever cookie you like, but I highly recommend the Jules Destrooper butter waffles if you can find them. This is what my mother always uses and what I use now, too. They are made of all good things — flour, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda — and they are delicious to boot. You also could skip the cookie coating all together for simplicity.

• If you have a Thermapen (highly recommend!) , use it to test the temp of the cheesecake, and remove it when it reads 150-155ºF.

• I have never done this, but the next time I make this, I’m tempted to skip the water bath, and bake the cake on a rimmed sheet pan at 350ºF for about an hour — I’ve seen a number of recipes that skip the water bath without issue.

• 3 lbs. whole milk fresh ricotta, (low-fat won’t work here; Calabro brand, sold at Whole Foods, is nice)

• 1 tablespoon butter, softened

• ¼ cup grated or smashed cookie of choice, Jules Detrooper butter waffles are so good

• 1 teaspoon plus 1½ cups sugar

• 1 cup mascarpone

• 6 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Place ricotta in a sieve over a bowl and let drain for 1 hour.
2. Triple wrap the bottom and sides of 3×10-inch springform pan with aluminum foil. Butter the sides, bottom and rim of pan. Mix the smashed or grated cookie crumbs with 1 teaspoon sugar and coat the pan.
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Fill a teapot with water and bring to a boil. Place the mascarpone in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light. Transfer to a small bowl; then add ricotta and lemon zest to bowl of electric mixer. Beat at low speed until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth. Beat in the remaining 1½ cups sugar. Continue to beat until mixture is very smooth. Beat in the mascarpone, vanilla and lemon juice. Pour into the pan and smooth the top.
4. Place the pan inside a roasting pan whose sides are not higher than the cake pan. Open oven and pull rack out halfway — make sure it’s stable. Place pan on rack, then pour in the boiling water from the teapot into the larger pan to within 1 inch of the top of the smaller pan. Bake for one hour and 15 minutes. Test with finger — the top should spring back a bit. Give the pan a shake — if the batter ripples under the surface too much, it probably needs more time. It should be slightly golden on top. Note: Cooking times will vary dramatically depending on your oven, the pan you are using for the water bath and what type of fresh ricotta you are using. Start checking at 1 hour and 15 minutes. If you have a Thermapen (highly recommend!), use it to test the temp of the cheesecake, and remove the cheesecake when the thermometer reads 150-155ºF. The cheesecake may take 30-40 minutes longer, so just be patient.
5. Remove and let cool to room temperature in the water bath. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours before serving. It will firm up as it rests.
6. To unmold, slide a thin knife around the cake edges. Release the sides of the springform pan. Refrigerate until serving.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Italian/American