Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses

We made Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses. It is an excellent preparation for grilling Lamb. You can find the recipe on our blog of September 5, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with Tomato and Pomegranate Salad from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi. The salad was excellent and because it doesn’t have greens, it won't wilt and can be kept for a few days in the frig. The flavors intensified over time.

We cooked Green Chile Country-Style Potatoes from East Meets Southwest by Michael Fennelly. The potatoes are easy to make and have a kick that balances the sweetness of the Pomegranate Molasses covered Lamb Chops. A good find!

Tomato and Pomegranate Salad

Plenty More

Yotam Ottolenghi

I rarely rave about my own recipes, but this is one I can just go on and on about It is the definition of freshness with its sweet-and-sour late-summer flavors, and it is also an utter delight to look at but the most incredible thing about it is that it uses a few ingredients that I have been lovingly cooking with for many years, and believed I knew everything there was to know about yet had never thought of mixing them in such a way. That is, until I traveled to Istanbul and came across a similar combination of fresh tomatoes and pomegranate seeds in a famous local kebab restaurant called Hamdi, right by the Spice Bazaar. It was a proper light-bulb moment when I realized how the two types of sweetness—the sharp, almost bitter sweetness of pomegranate and the savory, sunny sweetness of tomato—can complement each other so gloriously

I use four types of tomato here to make the salad more interesting visually and in flavor. You can easily use fewer, just as long as they are ripe and sweet.

SERVES FOUR

1-1/2  cups red cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1-1/2  cups yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch/ dice

1-1/2  cups tiger or plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice

about 1 lb medium slicing tomatoes (about 5), cut into 1/4-inch dice

1         red pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)

1         small red onion, finely diced (rounded 1/4 cup)

2         cloves garlic, crushed

½        tsp ground allspice

2 tsp  white wine vinegar

1-1/2  tbsp pomegranate molasses

¼        cup olive oil, plus extra to finish

1        large pomegranate, seeds removed

1         tbsp small oregano leaves salt

1.   Mix together all the tomatoes, the red pepper, and the onion in a large bowl and set aside.

2.   In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and a scant h teaspoon salt until well combined. Pour this over the tomato mixture and gently mix.

3.   Arrange the tomato mixture and its juices on a large, flat plate. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and oregano over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and serve.

Green Chile Country-Style Potatoes

East Meets Southwest

Michael Fennelly

3       carrots, peeled and quartered crosswise

5       medium-sized russet potatoes, quartered

1/3    cup.sour cream

4       tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

5       dashes Tabasco sauce

¼      cup chopped green onion, including 2 inch of green tops           

½      cup chopped fresh green chile

Pinch cayenne pepper

1       teaspoon kosher salt

½     teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To make the mashed potatoes, combine the carrots, potatoes, and water to cover in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes; test with a fork.

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Drain carrots and potatoes and coarsely mash with a hand masher or in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Add all the remaining mashed potato ingredients and continue to mash until desired smoothness is achieved. Taste and correct seasonings; cover and keep warm in the oven.