lamb chops with puréed fava beans and peas

scottadito d’agnello con salsa di fave e piselli

TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

The bright green of the fava bean puree sets off the deeply colored lamb chops in a dish that is sure to become a seasonal favorite.

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Ingredients

PURÉE
Fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups shelled fresh fava beans (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds in pods)
1 1/4 cups fresh shelled or frozen peas
3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 large mint leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Toscano or Grana Padano cheese
LAMB CHOPS
8 (1/2-inch-thick) lamb shoulder chops

Instructions

FOR PURÉE: Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add beans and cook for 1 minute; immediately transfer with slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain beans, then gently peel and discard skins.

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add peas, beans, 1 tablespoon oil, mint, 1/4 teaspoon salt and generous grinding of pepper. Return water to a boil and cook until peas and beans are tender, about 4 minutes. Reserving cooking liquid, strain vegetables through sieve. Transfer vegetables to the bowl of a food processor; add 2 tablespoons cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon oil, cheese and 1/2 teaspoon salt; purée until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.

FOR LAMB CHOPS: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 chops to skillet; cook to desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chop, for medium-rare. Transfer to platter; cover loosely with foil. Repeat with remaining chops. Serve warm with purée.

Photo by Ellen Silverman

Food styling by Maggie Ruggiero; prop styling by Amy Wilson

June 2012