Great Chef Hubert Keller and his Lamb Chops and Roasted Garlic Wrapped in Spinach

Great Chef Hubert Keller and his Lamb Chops and Roasted Garlic Wrapped in Spinach

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Lamb and vegetable mousseline moistens rare lamb chops, sliced to reveal the garlic clove hidden inside. The chops are accompanied by herbal thyme-shallot sauce. The caul fat wrapping the chops holds the package together while basting the chops as they roast. It is a lacy fat obtained from the butcher.

Serves 4

Lamb and Vegetable Mousseline
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped zucchini
1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow squash
1 tablespoon finely chopped carrot
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped red bell pepper
1 sprig finely chopped thyme
3 ounces boneless lamb loin
3 ounces boneless veal loin
1-1/2 ounces chicken livers
3 ounces pork fat
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Thyme-Shallot Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons dry red wine
1 cup lamb brown stock
2 sprigs fresh thyme

8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 lamb chops, bones cleaned and scraped
8 ounces caul fat
10 ounces lamb and vegetable mousseline (above)
8 large spinach leaves, stemmed and blanched

8 thyme sprigs

To prepare the mousseline: Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat and add the zucchini, squash, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and saute until the vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the thyme and saute for 2 more minutes. Drain the vegetables, let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold.

With a chilled meat grinder, mince the lamb loin, veal loin, chicken liver, and pork fat. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the cooked vegetables and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

To prepare the sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until slightly colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and stir up the glaze from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the liquid has nearly all evaporated. Add the lamb stock and thyme. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Set aside; keep warm.

To prepare the lamb: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Half fill a small saucepan with water, add the garlic, and bring to a boil. Pour off the water. Refill the pan with water and bring to a boil again. Drain and reserve the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a small saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat and saute the garlic until it is a light golden brown color, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper on both sides. With a small pointed knife, cut an incision into the side of each chop just large enough to hold a single clove of the garlic, and stuff each with a garlic clove.

Spread the caul fat out on a work surface and cut into 4-by-6-inch rectangles. Cover each rectangle of caul fat with two spinach leaves. Spread about 2 tablespoons of mousseline in the center of each leaf. Place one lamb chop on each. Cover the lamb chops with a thin layer of mousseline. Fold the spinach leaves over the filling. Wrap the caul fat around the package and overlap to seal. Place the wrapped chops on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes for rare, or to taste. Transfer the chops to a cutting board. Slice the chops in 1/2-inch slices.

To serve: Place the slices from two lamb chops on each warmed dinner plate, overlapping the slices slightly. Bring the sauce back to a boil and check for consistency; thicken by boiling longer, or thin with a little stock. Spoon sauce over and around the chops. Garnish with thyme sprigs.