Lamb Chops with Stuffed Arancini, Avocado Sauce, Pickled Daikon and Carrots and Cucumber Kimchi
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 1 hr 30 min
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
Lamb Chops
2 cups soy sauce
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon grated garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
12 lamb chops, bones cleaned
Cucumber Kimchi
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon gochugaru* or crushed red pepper flakes
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
Pickled Daikon and Carrots
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 daikon, peeled and thinly sliced
Arancini
2 cups cooked white rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 peas, fresh or frozen and thawed
Olive oil, for frying
Avocado Sauce
3 ripe avocados
Juice of 3 limes
Handful fresh cilantro leaves and stems
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
- For the lamb: In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame seeds, garlic and ginger. Add the lamb chops and stir to coat. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
- For the kimchi: In a bowl, stir together the vinegar, granulated sugar, salt and gochugaru. Add the cucumbers and stir to coat. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- For the pickled vegetables: In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, dill, mustard, salt and granulated sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove the mixture from the heat and cool. Place the carrots and daikon in a large bowl and pour the pickling mixture over the top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- For the arancini: In a bowl, combine the rice with the cilantro and mint and season with salt and pepper. Form the rice into golf-ball-size balls, stuffing each with 2 peas to make 8 rice balls. Fill a deep-sided skillet with 1/2-inch olive oil and heat over medium heat. Fry the arancini until browned on all sides. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.
- For the avocado sauce: Combine the avocados, lime juice and cilantro in a food processor and puree until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove the meat from the marinade and transfer the marinade to a saucepan. Bring the marinade to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until reduced by half. Keep warm.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the lamb chops to the hot oil and sear 2 to 3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Plate the lamb chops and spoon the marinade sauce over the top. Serve with the arancini, pickled daikon and carrots, kimchi and avocado sauce.
Cook’s Note
*Gochugaru is a Korean chile powder that can be found in specialty Asian markets.