I’m a little crazy for figs right now. Also, I found myself searching for fall décor on Pinterest the other day. It’s not even the end of August! Normally I would be avoiding the idea of fall as much as possible, but this year I’m really excited for it to get here…fall t.v. shows, cozy sweaters and boots, football, fires in the fireplace…I’m really not sure when my “favorite” season changed from summer to fall! Must have been a slow transition when I realized that summer doesn’t necessarily mean being lazy and doing nothing but laying by the pool all day.
Lamb chops w/ fresh fig pan sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
8 ozs fresh figs, stemmed and cut into pieces
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup shiraz or other spicy red wine
1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
12 (3 oz) lamb rib chops, trimmed
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil; swirl to coat. Add shallots; cook for 7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add figs; mash with a potato masher to break them up. Cook for 3 minutes or until figs start to break down, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/4 tsp black pepper.
3. Increase heat to medium-high. Add wine; boil for 1 minute. Stir in stock and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Add honey and vinegar; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf. Stir in rosemary; cover and keep sauce warm.
4. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brush lamb with remaining 1 tsp oil; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add lamb to skillet; sear 2 minutes on each side. Place pan in oven; bake at 400° for 4 minutes (for medium-rare) or until desired degree of doneness. Remove pan from oven; remove lamb from pan. Let lamb stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with sauce.
Original recipe from Cooking Light Magazine