Parsley-Crusted Lamb Chops

Sean's favorite entree is lamb chops, and I think it would be fair to say my favorite food is breading, so when I spotted Tupelo Honey Cafe's recipe for parsley-crusted lamp chops with dijon demi-glace, I thought it would be a home run. 

And it conceivably could have been, but I have a very bad habit of not having quite the right recipes on hand and sometimes making substitutions can get you into a bit of trouble. I didn't have canola oil, so I subbed vegetable oil and I'm guessing that might have something to do with why I burnt the breading long before the meat was fully cooked. Story of my life. Otherwise, these were super tasty...dijon mustard goes a long way and the parsley gave it another layer of flavor.

First things first, pulse panko bread crumbs and parsley to create a coating. Slather your lamb chops with dijon mustard and then coat the chops with the panko-parsley mixture. Meanwhile, heat oil (preferably canola) on medium-high heat and add the chops.

The recipe suggests cooking for 3 minutes on each side...I found it took longer.

Earlier in the night, I made demi-glace (you can easily buy it, but it wasn't super hard to make and I happened to have most of the ingredients minus tomato paste...I subbed ketchup, LOL). Use 2 cups of the demi-glace and add a tablespoon of dijon to make a sauce for the lamb chops.

The dish looked pretty sad once plated, I must say, but it was tasty. Sean proclaimed, "I would eat this every time you make it." Um, thanks honey. I would hate to go to the trouble of making it and have you refuse to eat it! 

Read on for the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup canola oil
• 4 (1 ½ to 2 inches thick) lamb chops
• 3 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 2 cups demi-glace (see below)

Instructions

Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper in a food processor and pulse until fine. Heat the canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until the oil is 350ºF on a deep-fat thermometer. Rub the lamb chops with 2 tablespoons of the mustard and then dredge each in the crumb mixture until well coated. Cook the lamb in hot oil for 2 to 3 minute son each side, until the lamb reaches 140ºF. In a small saucepan, combine the demi-glace and the remaining 1 tablespoon mustard over high heat. Serve the sauce immediately spooned over the lamb chops.

Demi-glace Instructions

In a heavy saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil and add 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup diced onion, and 1 cup diced carrots. Cook on high heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, or until caramelized. Add 1 cup dry red wine and cook uncovered over high heat for about 5 minutes, or until reduced by one-half. Add 4 cups beef stock and 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Stir together well, decrease the heat to medium, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until reduced by one-quarter. Cook and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.