I love cooking with chile peppers, although since they were not available in the part of the world that I grew up in I only learned about them somewhat recently. The first time I ever tried chipotle, now my favorite chile, was during an American Indian inspired driving trip through the Northeast USA in May 2002.
While visiting the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut, founded by Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, we enjoyed dinner at Paragon, a fine dining restaurant located on the top floor of the Grand Pequot Tower. The restaurant offers scenic views of the countryside as well as lovely continental cuisine with seasonal local ingredients. The most special dish that evening was an amuse bouche of a miniature lamb chop with chipotle mustard. At this time, chipotle was becoming a very trendy ingredient, and I was thrilled to "discover" it firsthand. It was love at first taste!
A few months later, for my husband's birthday, inspired by my first taste of chipotle, I created these delicious Grilled Lamb Chops with Chipotle Mustard, accompanied by Gorgonzola Mashed Potatoes, Corn and Red Pepper Relish.
Ingredients: (2 main course servings)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon ground mustard
6 Chipotle chiles in Adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 egg yolks
3-4 tablespoons oil
4 medium potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons crumbled gorgonzola
2/3 cup cooked corn
½ red pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 rack of lamb, cut into individual chops, or 8 lamb loin chops
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions:
Add vinegar, wine, ground mustard, chipotle chiles, salt, and sugar into a food processor and mix well. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Drizzle in the oil slowly while the food processor is running until the mixture is emulsified. Refrigerate chipotle mustard for at least an hour. (Note: this recipe should yield about a cup of chipotle mustard, store leftovers in a covered container and use within a few days for other grilled meats, burgers, or sandwiches).
Boil potatoes for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Drain and mash with milk and butter. Swirl in the gorgonzola and mix until the cheese is melted.
To prepare relish, add red pepper to a skillet with melted butter. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add green onions and corn and sauté for 2 more minutes.
Brush lamb chops with oil on both sides, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for about 2 minutes per side. Set on a rack for a few minutes before serving.
To serve: Add a layer of mashed potatoes on a plate, top with relish and lamb chops. Spoon chipotle mustard over each lamb chop.
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I am submitting this recipe for the Chile Roundup at Girlichef.
I would like to thank Miranda at My Food and Life Encounters for a Lovely Blog Award.
