Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses and Olive Oil
Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses and Olive Oil is inspired by a Paula Wolfert recipe in The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen, a book I often cook from. While today’s recipe departs significantly from the original, sources always merit citation.
Basically, you’re marinating lamb in pomegranate molasses, olive oil, tomato paste, seasonings, and garlic. Don’t be put off by the term “marination.” If time permits, let the lamb chops sit for 12 hours. If that’s laughably unrealistic, 20 minutes will suffice. Hell, even 10 will do.
I realize “seasonings” is rather vague. More specifically: salt, pepper, crushed dried pomegranate seeds (anardana powder), and Aleppo pepper, which is not so much fiery as deeply flavored.
I used lamb loin chops, which are not cheap. Take heart: shoulder chops, lamb steaks, and rack of lamb all work nicely here. To use this marinade on tough or larger cuts, like leg, shoulder, or kabobs, see the recipe notes, below.
Lamb’s inherent fattiness means it may be barbecued, sauteed, or broiled without drying out. Lamb also roasts nicely, but roasting is rarely mentioned as a cooking method unless 1. you are preparing leg of lamb or 2. you are calling up nostalgic memories of earthenware dishes carried to the village bakehouse.
In the grim present moment, 20 minutes in a modern, charmless oven produces perfect lamb. No bakehouse necessary.
Filler. Nary an onion in this recipe. But I was a picture short.
Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses and Olive Oil pairs well with orzo, plain Basmati rice, couscous, flatbread, tomato salad, green salad, and parsley salad. Sliced, lightly salted cucumbers are another option.
I am not fond of freekeh, but realize it would pair nicely with the lamb chops. The same goes for eggplant, which is in season as I write.
Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses and Olive Oil
Inspired by Paula Wolfert’s Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Pomegranate Glaze and Red Onion-Parsley Relish, which appears in The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen.
Preparation Time: If time is limited, marinate the lamb for a few minutes before cooking. Otherwise, marinate the lamb 4-12 hours, refrigerated.
Please see the notes, below, for discussion of larger cuts of lamb.
Amounts are easily increased.
3 lamb loin chops, trimmed of excess fat (about 1 pound/454 grams)
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (see notes)
1/2 teaspoon Anardana Powder (dried ground pomegranate seed; optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste. Start with a scant teaspoon each.
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 ounces/120 ml white wine or water
2 ounces/60 ml water
Trim the lamb chops of excess fat. Place the trimmed chops in a baking dish.
Prepare the marinade: in a small bowl, mix the pomegranate molasses, olive oil, tomato paste, anardana powder, salt, pepper. Using either your clean fingers, a spoon, or a spatula, smooth this over the lamb chops. Add the garlic to the dish. If marinating ahead of time, cover with lid, plastic wrap, or tinfoil and refrigerate until an hour before cooking.
An hour before cooking the lamb, remove it from the refrigerator (unless it’s extremely hot and your kitchen is very warm.)
To cook the lamb chops:
Preheat the oven to 375F/190C
Add the wine and water to the baking dish. Roast the lamb chops for 15 minutes, checking for doneness by slicing into a lamb chop near the bone. While doneness is partly personal preference, the lamb should be pink rather than red. If not, put it back in the oven for a few more minutes.
My lamb chops took 20 minutes to cook.
Lamb chops with pomegranate molasses and olive oil pair well with numerous foods, including orzo, tomato salad, cucumber salad, yogurt, rice, flatbreads, coucous, freekeh, and green salads.
Lamb chops will keep, refrigerated in a closed container, up to four days. Freeze up to three months.
Notes:
If you cannot get Aleppo pepper, substitute sweet paprika with a tiny amount of cayenne.
Anardana Seed is available at Indian grocery stores and online. See Penzey’s Spices and Kalustyan’s.com.
To prepare leg of lamb, lamb kabobs, or shoulder roasts, i.e., larger cuts, trim any excessive external fat. To increase the marinade, mix half a tablespoon each pomegranate molasses and olive oil, half a teaspoon tomato paste, a pinch of salt, a bit of pepper, and so on. If proceeding in this manner–what the French call cooking au pif, or by the nose–makes you unspeakably nervous, you can always glug some liquid over the lamb–Vermouth, Port, or Chicken broth–and call it a day. None of these in the house? Add water. We tend to forget about cooking with water.
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