Great Chef Hiro Sone

–

Medallions of Lamb with Anchovy-Black Olive Sauce and Artichoke Fritters

Hiro Sone

Terra

St. Helena CA

–

From Terra: Cooking from the Heart of the Napa Valley (Ten Speed, 2001)

‚“Anchovy with lamb?‚” Hiro Sone says that´s the response they hear when they put this dish on the menu. So he´s used to explaining that the anchovy here is not a dominant presence, but is used, in the manner of French and Italian cooking, to intensify and add depth to the sauce. With its bold flavors of kalamata olives, white wine, tomato, caper, lemon zest, and, yes, anchovy, this is a lusty sauce that´s a great match for a big cabernet. You can find chickpea flour in health food stores and Indian markets. It makes a light, flavorful batter that gives fried foods a beautiful golden finish. If you don´t want to deep-fry the artichokes, you can simply saute them, or substitute another vegetable. It´s fine to use store-bought tapenade in the sauce.

–

Serves 4

–

Four 8-ounce lamb loins, trimmed of silverskin

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of chopped fresh rosemary

Pinch of chopped fresh thyme

–

Chickpea Batter

1 cup chickpea flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of freshly ground peppr

2/3 to 1 cup hot water

–

Anchovy-Black Olive Sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 cup veal stock or brown chicken stock

2 tablespoons tomato puree

Pinch of chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons minced kalamata olives

1/8 teaspoon minced anchovy fillet

1/4 teaspoon minced capers

Pinch of minced lemon zest

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

–

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

4 large artichokes, cooked and quartered

1 cup sliced onion

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

16 sugar snap peas, stemmed and blanched

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

4 fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish

–

To marinate the lamb loins: Coat the loins with the olive oil and sprinkle on all sides with the herbs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

–

To make the batter; Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk in 2/3 cup hot water until smooth, adding the remaining 1/3 cup water if necessary (the batter will be thick). Set aside.

–

To start the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and garlic together over high heat and saute the garlic until lightly browned. Add the wine and cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add the stock, tomato puree, and rosemary, and cook until reduced to 2/3 cup. Set aside. –

–

To cook the lamb loins: Heat a large grill pan or saute pan over high heat until very hot. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and grill for 2 minutes, then turn at a 45-degree angle on the same side to make cross marks and cook for 1 minute. Turn the loins over and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer for medium-rare. Let rest in a warm place.

–

To deep-fry the fritters: Preheat the oven to 250 F. Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep- heavy pot to 350 F. Add the artichokes and onion to the batter. Using a large soon, scoop some of the batter, making sure you get some artichokes and onion in each scoop. Fry for about 3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Using a slotted metal spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain, then transfer to a baking sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining batter.

–

Melt the butter in a medium saute pan or skillet over high heat, add the snap peas, and saute for about 1 minute, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

–

To serve: Finish the sauce: heat the sauce and then whisk in the olives, anchovy, capers, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper (it won´t need much salt, since the olives and anchovy are salty). Put 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes in the center of each of 4 warmed plates. Put one fourth of the fritters on the upper side of the mashed potatoes. Spoon the sauce on the lower side of the plate, around the potatoes, and arrange the snap peas between the fritters and the sauce. Cut each lamb loin into 5 medallions and place them on the sauce in a semicircle. Garnish with the fresh rosemary sprigs.