Lamb Chops with Finger Favas
This is your grown-up chance to play with your food! Frenched lamb chops, also known as lamb lollipops, just beg to be picked up and gnawed on because the clean bones make lovely handles. Even the veg gets in on the interactive eating, with tender spring favas sautéed in their skins. Besides being fun finger food, there’s an added perk to cooking them this way: because they’re not blanched, the favas stay extra-sweet and firm. Just pick them up one by one and pop them into your mouth, like edamame served in Japanese restaurants. Don’t bother setting forks or knives at the table, but I recommend providing plenty of napkins.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Finger Favas
Preparation
Step 1
You can ask your butcher to French the lamb chops for you, or you can do it yourself. If you are beginning with a whole rack, first run your knife horizontally across the rack 2 to 2 1/2 inches from the ends of the bones where the chop broadens. Flip the rack over and repeat on the other side, making the cuts parallel to one another. Next, cut out the meat connecting the bones, cutting along each bone down to the horizontal cuts you have already made. Remove these fingers of meat and fat. Discard. Cut through the rack to separate it into evenly sized chops. Tilt one chop vertically, holding the bone end in one hand with the meat resting on your cutting board. Take a sharp knife and place the blade against the bone. Scrape along the bone in short, smooth movements, as if you were peeling a carrot, cleaning the bone and pushing the meat toward the cutting board to form a meat “lollipop” with a bone handle. Once the long portion of the bone is cleaned and scraped, trim off any remaining meat and fat at the base of the bone. Repeat with the remaining chops.
Step 2
Pat the chops dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chops in a baking dish just big enough to hold them. Sprinkle with the parsley, mint, and sliced garlic and drizzle olive oil generously over the top. Allow the chops to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Step 3
When ready to serve, preheat a grill to high or prepare a hot fire. Grill the chops until seared, about 2 minutes per side. Set aside to rest while you prepare the fava beans.
Finger Favas
Step 4
Heat the butter and olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt and stir to coat. Add the favas. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the fava beans are just tender. Serve with the grilled lamb chops.
