Lamb Chops With Ginger And Five-Spice

This one of Greg’s favorites (mine too). This was originally from Bon Appétit Magazine (February 2002) but it called for lamb shanks and was 6 servings. I used blade lamb chops instead because I was only cooking for two. I later tried this with shanks and it didn’t work nearly as well. Stick with chops. This also works with parsley if you don't like cilantro.

Lamb Chops With Ginger And Five-Spice


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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6 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cups boiling water
1 long piece fresh ginger -- peeled, thickly sliced
3 garlic cloves -- peeled
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons black bean sauce
4 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons five-spice powder
2 large lamb chop -- excess fat trimmed
1/2 cup green onion -- thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry Sherry
Steamed white rice

Place mushrooms in bowl. Pour boiling water over; let soak until mushrooms soften, at least 45 minutes and up to 4 hours. Strain mixture, reserving 1 1/2 cups soaking liquid. Cut stems from mushrooms and discard; thinly slice caps.

With food processor running, add ginger and garlic and finely chop. Add cilantro, black bean sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and five-spice powder. Process until paste forms, occasionally scraping down sides of work bowl. Using sharp knife, cut 5 small shallow slits into each lamb chop, spacing apart; (you can also just stab them with a sharp knife) Rub black bean-cilantro paste into slits and all over surface of each chop. (Mushrooms and lamb shanks can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover mushrooms, soaking liquid and shanks separately and chill.)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut 2 18-inch squares of aluminum foil; place on work surface. Place green onions and sliced mushroom caps in center of each foil square, dividing equally. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb chops and cook until brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Place 1 lamb chop atop green onions and mushrooms on each foil square.

Pour reserved mushroom soaking liquid and Sherry into same skillet. Boil until liquid is reduced to a thick-ish sauce, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet, about 10 minutes. Spoon reduced liquid over each lamb shank, pulling up foil around shanks to prevent liquid from spilling out. Enclose shanks completely in foil, twisting foil to seal; place on large rimmed baking sheet or baking dish.

Bake lamb shanks until very tender, about 25 minutes. Make rice.

When the chops are done open up foil packets; slide the chops out onto a plate of steamed rice.



See the original recipe on Epicurious
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