Lamb Chops with Mint and Mustard Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
• 2 cloves smashed garlic
• 12 loin lamb chops, 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick each
• Salt and pepper
• 3 rounded tablespoons prepared grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 splashes
• 1 tablespoon honey, a good drizzle
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, a couple of handfuls of sprigs, reserve 4 leaves for garnish
• 4 leaves radicchio lettuce

Directions

Preheat broiler to high. Place garlic in a small saucepan and add 2/3 cup oil, to cover. Heat oil and garlic over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove oil from heat. Arrange lamb chops on broiler pan. Drizzle 3 teaspoonfuls of the garlic oil over the lamb and spread the oil over the chops with a brush to coat evenly. Season chops with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

To a food processor or blender, add mustard, vinegar, honey. Turn processor or blender on and stream in remaining garlic and oil. Turn the processor or blender off and add mint to the container. Pulse and grind the dipping sauce to incorporate the leaves.

Broil chops 3 minutes on each side, then let them rest up to 10 minutes for the juices to distribute. The lamb will be cooked to medium. Serve 3 chops per person with dipping sauce portioned in radicchio leaves along side the chops. Garnish with sprigs of mint. Tabbouleh stuffed tomatoes and white beans with thyme make wonderful side dishes. See recipes below.