Whilst soft fruits are usually reserved for desserts and bakes, they can also compliment savoury dishes too. Lamb chops with redcurrant jus is a case in point. The sharp tang from the redcurrants cuts through any fattiness from the lamb and compliments the meat perfectly.
- Quick
- Easy Entertaining
I'm running a bit late with my post this week but not because I have been too busy playing with our two new kittens, Treacle and Nutmeg, who are just the cutest things. ( One of whom is currently sitting on my shoulder as I type - perhaps she thinks she is a parrot!). Although they haven't helped:) I have also spent a lot of time in the kitchen testing and shooting recipes for the blog. An abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables to cook with is also keeping me busy. I just love this time of year when many of my favourite ingredients are in season.
I do enjoy sharing my recipes but sometimes I need to have deadlines to get things done, even if they are self imposed. That is why I try to post regularly on Tuesdays and Fridays, it helps keeps my motivation going. At the same time sometime life just gets in the way and other things need to be fitted in. By getting a few great recipes in the bag ready to go for when life gets a bit hectic, it will will help me keep to my regular posting days.
Back to the recipe
Anyway back to the recipe, lamb chops with redcurrant jus – I think marinating the chops for an hour or so first (or up to 24 hours if you want to prepare ahead) helps make the chops super tender and full of flavour. However it is not the end of the world if you skip this step. I have when time is tight, just marinated the chops for the time it takes to prepare the accompanying veg.
The sauce itself is easy to prepare, I have adapted it from a recipe I wrote for teletext, quite a few years ago, (I used to write a daily recipe for them). Do you remember teletext? How things have changed since then! The original recipe had a cranberry jus flavoured with cranberry sauce. Redcurrants have a similar acidity to cranberries so I knew the flavour would work well so I substituted the cranberry sauce with redcurrant jelly and added some fresh redcurrants. Adding fresh redcurrants adds an extra step but also really ramps up the flavour. Of course it also another way to use some of the redcurrants from my allotment.
What I like most about this recipe apart from the flavour of course, is not only is it simple and quick to prepare, it is also elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. Once upon a time - I used to spend almost the whole day preparing for a dinner party. These days I never seem to have the luxury of that much time and besides dinner parties shouldn't be hard work. They are about enjoying good food and good company, so this dish is ideal, quick and easy to prepare and very tasty. Just add friends for the perfect dinner.
Step by step lamb chops with redcurrant jus
Lamb chops with redcurrant Jus
Ingredients
- 8 lamb chops or cutlets
- grated zest and juice 1 orange
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoon red or white wine
- 50 g redcurrant plus extra to garnish
- 2 tablespoon redcurrant jelly
Instructions
- Place the lamb chops in a shallow non-metallic dish.
- Combine the orange juice, zest, garlic, rosemary and seasoning and pour over the cutlets.
- Turn to coat in the marinade. Cover and allow marinate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 12 hours.
- Heat a griddle pan or grill, remove the lamb from the marinade and cook over a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes each side. Keep warm.
- Meanwhile pour the marinade into a small saucepan, stir in the wine. Add the redcurrant and cook for 5 minutes until very soft. Strain through a sieve to remove the seeds and return to the pan.
- Stir in the redcurrant jelly and heat stirring until the sauce is well combined.
- Serve spooned over the lamb chops and garnish with a sprig of currants
Notes
Nutrition
And for any cat lovers among you
Meet Nutmeg and Treacle
More lamb recipes made easy
[easy-image-collage id=9155]
Jacqui Davies
I made this with kid goat chops. Everyone commented on the delicious jus - really excellent, thank you.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
So pleased you liked this I bet your goat kid chops had lots of flavour too. Thank you for taking time to comment and rate I do love getting reader feedback especially when it's good;)
Andrew nightingale
Dear Jacqueline,
Great recipe, easy to prepare and enjoyed by all who have tried it, but in stage 6 of the recipe it says stir in the redcurrant jelly and lemon juice, but there is no mention of lemon juice in the ingredients.
If lemon juice is required, could you tell me how much please.
Kind regards
Andrew
Jacqueline Bellefontaine
Hi Andrew,
I am so glad that you all enjoyed the recipe and thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe and comment. The lemon juice was anciently left in the ingredients list, I have now updated the recipe so it now reads correctly. I try to spot inconsistencies like these before publishing but sometimes they do slip through. I hope you go on to make and enjoy more recipes made easy. Best wishes Jacqui