Lamb and mint is a perfect marriage. Lamb and apple mint, accompanied by Granny Smith apples, Green Apple vodka, brown sugar, butter and heavy cream, provides the ingredients for a memorable honeymoon too!
You get sour apple from the fruit and liqueur. A sugary sweetness from the mint and brown sugar, all of which is offset by citrus, brought together with a big creamy hug, then topped with the soft texture of onions and apples.
Plant some apple mint in your herb garden this year and give this recipe a try! It's also phenomenal in cocktails like this Papaya Apple Mintini :)
Plus, I did a wine tasting with 5 different wines. See the two that won after the recipe.
Ingredients For Lamb
2 lamb loin chops, totaling about .60 pound
salt and pepper to taste for both sides of meat
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Ingredients For Sauce
6 - ¼ inch thick onion wedges
½ tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 Granny Smith apple, sliced with peeling
2 ounces Apple vodka (Absolut Orient Apple with ginger flavor)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ to 1/3 cup of heavy cream (you need enough liquid to finish cooking the lamb and to coat the apples and onions)
pinch of salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh apple mint (you can use regular mint) plus extra for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
Directions For Lamb
Season both sides of meat with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Brown chops until they have a good sear, approximately 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
Directions For Sauce
Turn heat down to medium. Add onions to the same skillet. Cook until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan onto a second plate.
Melt butter and dissolve sugar in skillet. Toss apples in and coat well, cooking until they are soft but not mushy and slightly browned. Remove from pan and add to onion plate.
Deglaze the skillet with vodka. Reduce for 4 or 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, cream, and seasonings. Heat through for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle mint in. Then add everything else back to skillet and cook until lamb reaches an internal temperature of 160, about 10 minutes. This is medium. Adjust time according to your tastes.
Wine Taste Test
I compared 5 different wines with this dish. Here are the results and my pairing recommendations.
Edna Valley Merlot 2010–Wonderful blueberry, dark cherry, supple strong tannins, and a lingering caramel finish. Best choice with this dish! But it’s always fun to compare. It ties in with the brown sugar in the apples, the fruity cream sauce, and the rich lamb.
Edna Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010–Tastes of blackberry, dark chocolate, and coffee. 2nd best
Haraszthy 2009 Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel-The nose is full of berry aromas with dark fruit emerging across the palate along with a hint of vanilla, spice, and black licorice. A decent Zin but not as bold and spicy as I like. It ranked 3rd with this dish.
Edna Valley Chardonnay 2010-White peach, sharp, clean and a little spicy. The citrus compliments the green apples and the crisp texture cuts through the richness in the sauce and the red meat. Best white wine with this dish.
Gruner Veltliner-Another white, this one from Monteray Valley features hints of stone and citrus fruits with gentle spices sprinkled in. Good 2nd choice.
You might say white with lamb? No way. But sometimes the sauce or topping for a dish dictates the wine choice. Here, the sauce calls for white but the lamb is supported by red. It comes down to personal preference when you have a multi-layered meal like this one. So I offer a vino to please your red wine drinkers and something for those that favor a dry white.
If you think this recipe sounds delicious check out my cookbook, 2 Shots Of Tasting, Toasting, And Tantalizing With Vodka - Part of my, " Labor Of Love, Laughter, And Liqueur" series
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