So, I made Glazed Ham for Easter (quite typical) but my sister Elise made Lamb Chops on the grill, which is a very Spring-y dish. I can just see the little lambs roaming the countryside with the little bunnies, so pastoral. Come to think of it, serving lamb for Easter is kind of depressing, similar to as if you were serving Rabbit (which I’ve only eaten in France). While ham is traditional, you never think of an Easter Pig. At any rate, her making this dish made me think of a recipe I’ve used for a long time for Grilled Lamb Chops with Gorgonzola Butter.
I didn’t used to like lamb at all, as it sometimes has a gamey taste and smell when you cook it, but I do quite like the little lamb chops (known as lollipops) served as appetizers at parties. This recipe was actually collected by Jennifer, Zeke’s first wife, and I found it in a blue notebook of recipes she had, which I wrote about in my first Chicken Soup for the Soul: Food and Love. The story was called Getting to Know Jennifer.
It’s a Bon Appetit recipe from a restaurant in Seaside, Florida (where The Truman Show was filmed) called Bud and Alley’s, which is actually still around, although I didn’t find these lamb chops on their menu. The recipe was from the April 1993 issue. I like this recipe because much of the work can be done ahead- marinating the lamb chops the night before and making the Gorgonzola Butter up to a week ahead- making it perfect to serve at a dinner party. Best of all, it doesn’t taste too “lamby”. Costco is a great place to get lamb chops, where they’re more reasonably priced than Publix.
Grilled Lamb Chops with Gorgonzola Butter
Recipe by Bud and Alley's RestaurantCourse: EntreeCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium4
servings12
minutesIngredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried, crumbled
2 1 1/2 lb racks of lamb, cut into 8 double chops
- Butter
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, room temp
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
- Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Place lamb chops in baking dish. Pour marinade over. Turn chops to coat.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat grill or broiler.
- Grill or broil lamb chops to desired doneness, about 6 minutes on each side for medium rare.
- Transfer chops to plates and add one butter slice on each chop.
- Butter
- Melt 1 teaspoon butter in heavy small skillet over medium heat.
- Add shallot and garlic and saute 1 minute. Set aside.
- Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1/2 cup butter and cheese in medium bowl until fluffy.
- Add shallot mixture, oil and lemon juice; beat to blend
- Roll up in plastic to form 1-inch-wide cylinder. Chill until firm, about 3 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead.)
Notes
- Sometimes I skip the butter part, but it certainly elevates the dish.
- The restaurant also serves the lamb with a red wine shallot sauce.
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