Ingredients
- 8 lamb chops
Mint pesto
- small pack of mint leaves
- small pack of basil leaves
- 35g pine nuts
- 1 large clove garlic
- 3 tbs Mint Olive Oil
- 50g parmesan finely grated
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- salt and fresh cracked pepper
- 2 tbs of the Mint Olive Oil and 2 tsp of Caramelised Onion Balsamic for dressing.
Method
Toast pine nuts in a dry frying pan & cook for 3 mins over medium heat. Stirring frequently until golden. Leave to cool.
PLEASE REMEMBER to bring your meat to room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking.
For the pesto, add cooled pine nuts to a food processor with the garlic and process until finely chopped, add herbs, a pinch of salt and pulse until finely chopped. Drizzle in Mint Olive Oil slowly until fully mixed. Stir in the parmesan and lemon zest & season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in a narrow jar and top with a very thin layer of the mint olive oil to prevent oxidation until ready to use.
Heat a cast iron or nonstick pan over a medium-high heat. Season chops liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the preheated pan and cook for preferred tenderness : 2-3 minutes per side for medium rare, 4 minutes per side for medium and 5 minutes per side for well done.
Smear the pesto on serving dishes. Top with the Lamb and garnish with fresh mint and basil leaves, pine nuts and for the finishing touch a drizzle of Mint olive oil and a splash of Caramelised Onion balsamic.
Serve with a side of spring vegetables.