stuffed lamb chops with cranberries

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• cranberry filling:
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• cranberry sauce:
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup white
• 1/4 cup red
• 1/4 cup cranberry juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 (1-inch thick) lamb chops
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Ready Time: 1 hr


• to prepare the cranberry filling: soak 1 cup dried cranberries in the boiling water for 20 minutes. drain the cranberries, reserving 1/4 cup of the water. place the cranberries, reserved water, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar in a food processor. process until finely chopped; set aside.
• bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the chicken stock has reduced to half its original volume, about 15 minutes. add the white , red , cranberry juice, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. continue cooking until the sauce has reduced by half again, about 10 minutes. keep warm.
• preheat an oven to 400 degrees f (200 degrees c).
• cut a pocket into the side of each lamb chop, about 3/4 of the way through. stuff each lamb chop with the dried cranberry mixture, then season on all sides with salt and pepper to taste. heat the olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. cook the lamb chops on one side until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. turn the lamb chops over, and cook another few minutes until browned on the other side too.
• pour 1 cup of the sauce into the skillet and bring to a simmer. place the skillet in the preheated oven, and bake until the lamb is no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees f (63 degrees c).
• to serve, place each lamb chop a warmed dinner plate, and spoon the sauce from the skillet over top. sprinkle the lamb chops with 2 tablespoons dried cranberries and 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts for decoration. serve with the remaining cranberry sauce.