Broiled Lamb Chops with Braised Root Vegetables and Colcannon - Creamy Kale and Potatoes

Ingredients

Braised Root Vegetables:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound packaged baby carrots
• 1 rutabaga, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 8 loin lamb chops
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Colcannon:

• 4 medium to large all-purpose potatoes, such as Russet, peeled and cut into chunks
• Coarse salt, for boiling water
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 head dark curly kale, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup whole milk, eyeball it
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, fresh or grated
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 2 scallions, sliced
• A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• Prepared, store bought Irish soda bread or brown bread, warmed, for passing at table
• Sweet butter, softened, for the bread

Directions

For braised vegetables: Heat a skillet with a cover over medium to medium high heat. Add butter, carrots, rutabaga and onion. Cook veggies 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth or stock, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat and cover. Cook vegetables 15 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat broiler to high for lamb.

Boil potatoes for 15 minutes in salted water. Drain potatoes and return them to the hot pot and mash.

Heat stock or broth to a simmer. Chop kale tops, discarding tough stems. Add kale to broth and cover. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes.

Place chops about 6 to 8 inches from broiler and cook 5 minutes on each side. Remove from broiler and season chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Let chops rest 3 to 5 minutes.

In a large skillet over moderate heat melt butter and add milk. Season with nutmeg and thyme and add scallions to the pan. Remove kale from cooking liquid to the milk and butter mixture using a slotted spoon. Stir in 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Add mashed potatoes to milk and kale and stir until combined and creamy, 1 or 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve the chops along with vegetable colcannon. Warm up store-bought Irish soda bread or brown bread with soft, unsweetened butter. The bread makes a nice starter, side or ending to this meal.