Grilled Lamb Chops with Tapenade Butter

Ingredients

• 8 baby lamb chops, Frenched
• Olive or canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• Tapenade Butter, recipe follows
• Fresh chopped oregano leaves, for garnish, optional

Directions

Heat grill to high.

Brush lamb chops with oil and season on both sides with salt and pepper and the herbes de Provence, pressing the herbs to adhere. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until slightly charred and cooked to medium-rare doneness. Serve 2 chops per person topped with some of the Tapenade Butter. Garnish with fresh oregano, if desired.

Tapenade Butter:

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped lemon zest
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 cup Nicoise olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place butter, anchovies, garlic, zest, and pepper flakes in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the olives, salt, and pepper and pulse until well combined. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, if desired. Remove the butter from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving to soften slightly.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups