Basil and Pistachio Crusted Lamb With Apricot Reduction

Basil and Pistachio Crusted Lamb With Apricot Reduction

The latest issue of Edible Santa Fe is called “Groundswell” and focuses on a number of New Mexico women doing significant food work of various kinds. The stories do a great job of combining celebration of food “with a clear eye on the ongoing issues of harassment, wage disparity, and societal preconceptions of traditional gender roles” that are being addressed yet require ongoing work.

This issue is exceptionally beautiful and powerful, and I wanted to pay tribute to the publishers, editors, and authors by selecting a recipe from it for my weekly contribution to the market blog.

The main ingredients are readily available. Shepherd’s Lamb is returning to the Market, summer fruits and herbs are appearing in increasing abundance, and fresh garlic is coming in. New Mexico pistachios are at hand year round in many places even if not always at the Market.

The Recipe

Ingredients

Lamb

• 2 tablespoons pistachios, toasted
• 1 bunch (about 2 cups) basil leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, divided
• 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• Salt
• 2 racks of lamb (approximately 1 pound each)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Apricot Reduction

• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Black pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon butter 3
• fresh apricots, diced

PREPARATION

Lamb

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Pulse toasted pistachios, basil, 6 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 2 cloves garlic, diced, in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Stir in breadcrumbs and salt to taste. Set aside.
3. Dry lamb with paper towels, then coat with the pistachio and basil mixture, pressing hard to ensure it sticks to the meat.
4. Heat olive oil in a stainless steel skillet. Add the lamb, crust-side down, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a baking sheet and roast for 6 minutes in the oven.

Apricot Reduction

1. Add onion, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced, to the skillet used to cook the lamb. Salt and pepper to taste, then cook over medium heat until the onion is tender.
2. Add white wine, chicken stock, and apricots. Boil until the mixture is reduced by half, scraping up the brown bits in the skillet.
3. Continue cooking over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. To serve, drizzle lamb with apricot reduction.

This locally inspired recipe is brought to you by Pam Walker. Pam is an avid home cook, writer, and local farm and food activist who is also a board member of the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute. Thank you, Pam, for helping inspire us to use locally sourced ingredients!