LAMB CHOPS WITH SWEET ONION FENNEL JAM

They say to give the people what they want, and they will come! Well, I asked, you all voted, and the lamb chops won….IN A LANDSLIDE!!

Lamb chops are actually one of my favorite proteins to cook. It used to be what I would cook on a date night with a girl the first time I had her over for dinner. They just seem fancy right? Most people think of entrees when cooking lamb, and while this recipe can certainly be served as such, I actually prefer to use this one as appetizer. Something that can be easily passed, or dressed up nice on a platter. Just my thought, obviously feel free to serve them whenever and however you want.

As you know, we always cook with spirit, and this recipe is no different. Today I am using Rumple Minze peppermint schnapps. Traditionally, lamb is served with a side of mint jelly. For this recipe, as the title states, we are going to be making a sweet onion and fennel jam. I still wanted to keep that tradition of mint, but I needed to be a bit extra and put my own spin on it!

I remember back in my early days of tending the bar, Rumple Minze used to be THE end of the night shot at last call. I’m not sure why it was, because its really not that great on its own. Maybe it was because now the guests were looking for who they were going to make out with, or maybe it was so that after they had been drinking all night at the bar, if they took a shot of this, the cops would have no idea that they were drunk when they got pulled over. Who knows, but both sound pretty logical to me.

Anyway, until the next dish…..enjoy

Ingredients: (Lamb Chops)

• 1 qt herb oil (see previous post about herb oil)
• fresh thyme
• salt
• pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 rack of lamb

Directions: Marinate you rack of lamb in 1 quart of herb oil for at least an hour. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Heat an iron skillet (or cooking pan of choice) on a medium high heat. Because the lamb has been marinating in the herb oil, there is no need to add more oil to your pan. Once the pan is hot, place the rack into the pan and sear for 4-5 minutes. Flip the rack over, and place the entire pan into the oven, and cook to desired temperature (I cook mine to 135 degrees). When the desired temperature has been reached, remove the pan and place it back on the stove top. Add in a few stems of fresh thyme, 2 smashed garlic cloves, and the 2 table spoons of butter. Spoon the melted butter/garlic mixture over the rack for a few minutes.

Ingredients: (Sweet Onion Fennel Jam)

• 1 bulb of fennel (finely diced, about 1/2 cup)
• 1 medium sized sweet onion (finely diced, about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 oz Rumple Minze
• 1.5 cups plain white sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• fresh mint leaves, about 7

Directions: Using a medium sized pot, over high heat, add in the diced fennel and sweet onion ONLY. As you begin to smell the onion and fennel, and can hear it sizzle in the pan, give it a good stir, then add in the 2 oz of Rumple Minze (CAUTION!!! This is alcohol, and high proof at that, it can catch on fire, so pour carefully and slowly!!) Next you will need to add in the 2 cups of sugar, and the 1/2 cup of cider vinegar. Stir to mix thoroughly. Once mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to medium and reduce until a jam consistency. Make sure to stir every few minutes so it does not burn. While the jam is still hot, finely chop up the mint leave and add those in. Allow jam to cool about 15-20 minutes before using. The reduction does take some time, usually about 20 -30 minutes…..but it is so worth it!