Surf & Turf

For our last Wednesday night dinner at Tuscany #1710 before my move to the big D, I decided to go all out with an “old and new” Surf and Turf meal. The sides for this meal have already been posted (homemade pesto pasta and caprese salad). For the surf, we decided on scallops (“the old”). For the turf, we went with lamb loin chops (“the new”), something we’ve never made before.

The scallops were marinated for 15-20 minutes in lemon juice, S&P, paprika, and a dash of cayenne. Seared on high for 1-2 minutes, flipped over for another 1-2 minutes, and then reduced heat to medium high to finish cooking. Pretty hard to mess up scallops, so I always recommend them for new chefs looking to impress their date.

For the lamb, I bought lamb loin chops (with bone), since actual rack of lamb chops have very little meat [and they are twice as expensive]. We knew this recipe from Allrecipes would be a hit (here) since it had 594 reviews and 15,385 people had saved it….and it definitely was!

Ingredients:

4 lamb loin chops (3/4 inch thick)
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary (I used fresh)
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

In a small bowl or cup, mix together the rosemary, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub this mixture onto the lamb chops on both sides. Place them on a plate, cover and set aside for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place lamb chops in the skillet, and cook for about 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium rare, or continue to cook to your desired doneness. Remove from the skillet, and keep warm on a serving platter.

Add shallots to the skillet, and cook for a few minutes, just until browned. Stir in vinegar, scraping any bits of lamb from the bottom of the skillet, then stir in the chicken broth. Continue to cook and stir over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by half. If you don’t, the sauce will be runny and not good. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter. Pour over the lamb chops, and serve.

I’m salivating as I post these pictures.