Potato crusted mutton chops with spring vegetables
Potato crusted mutton chops with spring vegetables
For the vegetables:
1000 gr fresh broad beans
100 gr fresh salicorns (sea asparagus)
150 gr cherry tomatoes halved
Olive oil
Rock salt
Salt, pepper
A bit of sugar
Remove the broad beans from the shell.
Bring a large pot with water and rock salt to the boil—Blanch the broad beans for 60 seconds or until they come to the surface. Shock them in ice-cold water.
Strain them and with your fingertips, peel and reserve them. (Discard the exterior). It’s a bit of hassle, but the result is worth it!
Over medium heat, place a wide pot with olive oil.
Add cherry tomatoes and sweat them for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Add salicorns and broad beans, not forgetting to stir—season with a bit of salt, pepper and sugar. After a minute, remove and serve.
For the chops:
160 gr Mutton chops (4 pieces)
600 gr Potatoes suitable for frying (I used Cypriot ones), peeled and whipped with a damp cloth
150 gr black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
Fresh verbena thinly sliced (alternatively fresh basil)
2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Salt, pepper
Olive oil
With the use of a mandolin, cut thinly lengthwise like “spaghetti” the potatoes. Add verbena, olives and season to taste. Using your hands, rub well all ingredients together. Place in a colander and allow excess liquid to drain.
Season mutton chops with salt and pepper. Divide mustard among all chops.
Using the potato mixture, envelope each chop (the meat part) and squeeze well in order to remove all liquid. Make sure to cover all meat surfaces.
Pre-heat a large non-stick pan with a bit of olive oil on medium heat. Sear each side of the chop, adding as much olive oil needed in order to ensure that the potato colours nicely. You may also use a pallet knife to ensure that the mixture remains well shaped on the meat. This procedure should take roughly 10 minutes.
Once seared, cook in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 10-12 minutes.
For the sauce (make a day in advance):
2000 gr mutton trimmings and bones
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 tomato, quartered
A bit of vegetable oil
In a vast pot, heat vegetable oil, sear and colour mutton.
Add the vegetables and continue cooking for a couple of minutes. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
Turn down heat to the minimum and simmer for 3 hours. Strain through a fine sieve. Refrigerate overnight in order to allow all grease to surface.
The following day you will notice that the grease has surfaced and turned into a buttery consistency.
Discard it.
Place the sauce in a saucepot and reduce it to the desired thickness, not forgetting to season it.
Bon appétit!
What wine we will choose:
Here we have a complex dish, with many individual elements and preparations, which, every bite hides a delicious discovery!
Respectively, we will choose a wine not to lag in complexity, tannic enough, and acidity at least at a high level.
Let's start with the classics. A high-quality xinomavro from the area of Naoussa, preferably in a more rustic version such as Karydas, will be a perfect choice. Also, a sophisticated and tanned Cabernet Sauvignon or a Bordeaux with character will be perfectly combined both aromatically and tastefully. If you are adventurous, try a Sauvignon Blanc in the quality level of Silex and be sure that the conversation will ignite.
