Sautéed Lamb Chops With Ramps, Anchovy, Capers and Olives

Sautéed Lamb Chops With Ramps, Anchovy, Capers and Olives
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(289)
Comments
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Wild spring ramps are an earthy aromatic twist to this otherwise traditional approach to lamb chops. But you can just as easily use minced garlic or young green garlic shoots from the farmers' market. Any of these pungent alliums harmonize with the other bold ingredients. The anchovy mellows, melting into the chunky sauce, and the flavorful, meaty olives, briny capers and crushed red pepper keep everything lively, along with a squeeze of lemon.

Featured in: Classic Mediterranean Flavors, Enlivened by Ramps

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 8lamb chops (about 2 pounds), trimmed
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 2teaspoons roughly chopped rosemary
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as necessary
  • 1large shallot, diced
  • 4anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
  • 6wild ramps, white part finely chopped and green tops reserved, or 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1tablespoon small capers or roughly chopped larger capers
  • ¼cup coarsely chopped pitted olives, a mixture of black and green
  • ½teaspoon crushed red pepper, or less to taste
  • ½cup white wine
  • 1cup hot chicken broth
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

709 calories; 57 grams fat; 23 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 909 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season chops on both sides with salt and pepper, sprinkle with rosemary, and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Put a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. When oil is hot, add chops in one layer, without crowding. (If necessary, use two pans or work in batches.)

  3. Step 3

    Cook chops until nicely browned on first side, about 4 to 5 minutes. (Maintain brisk heat, but adjust if they seem to be browning too quickly.) Flip chops and cook to medium-rare, until red juices rise on surface, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove chops to a serving platter and keep warm.

  4. Step 4

    Return pan to stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil if pan looks dry, then add shallot and cook until lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add anchovies, mashing them with the back of a spoon, to combine.

  5. Step 5

    Add chopped ramps (or garlic, if using), capers, olives and red pepper and stir to incorporate shallot mixture. Raise heat to high and add white wine. Cook rapidly until reduced by half. Add chicken broth and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and zest and turn off heat.

  6. Step 6

    Meanwhile, roughly chop reserved green ramp tops, if using, and mix with chopped parsley. Stir parsley mixture into sauce. Spoon sauce generously over lamb chops and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
289 user ratings
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Comments

My pet peeve, too, along with commenters who say they didn't like a recipe, then proceed to describe how they changed key ingredients or cooking methods, or both.

You will find it is more rewarding to keep a jar of good anchovies in the refrigerator or a tin in your pantry. As with many prepared ingredients the paste is made with lesser raw materials. Assuming you are shopping to make the dish you should add actual anchovies to your list.

This recipe worked wonderfully as written. A great way to use the ramps I had from the Farmer's market. A couple of observations: (1) the lamb chops give off quite a bit of fat when searing. I poured the fat out of the pan and then added a little back to prior to cooking the shallots. (2) you get a lot of pan sauce - no complaints there!

We were out of anchovies so massaged the lamb chops with hot honey before grilling on each side for about 2-3 minutes. Delicious.

Very similar to abbacchio alla romana, the classic Roman Easter lamb chop dish. Here we use more wine, no stock, and vinegar instead of lemon. We cook it in a casserole in the oven.

One of the best dishes I have ever made. Served it on roasted parsnips. Delicious!!

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