Merry had a little lamb

Baaaaah said my din din.

Seriously though. Lamb, along with the pig, is a noble little animal. And I am very grateful for all the little lambs I have eaten in my life. Including the one (or several) that might have made up my dinner tonight. 

I have no idea where the idea to eat lamb came from way back in the ancient days. In all honesty, I think lambs are super cute, being a girl, I think I would be crazy not to think that. So it must have been a horrific accident that first brought a lamb to the table on a platter. But oh, how I am grateful for that day. Leg of lamb has long been a favorite of my mother's and therefore a typical dish at holiday dinners. She does hers as I like to, most simply, studded with garlic and sprigs of rosemary...whole. That means stuffing the little gem with hunks of goodness till it bleats happiness. And occasionally there is a red wine sauce to go along, but really it's nummy on it's own. In contrast, one of my family's dear friends hails from the merry olde, and does hers with the tradish mint jelly. It too is quite plate licking worthy. 

So how did this darling creature come to my table this evening? Chop-wise, coated in a mash of rosemary, thyme and 4 garlic cloves with olive oil to bind...and some salt. Trader J's has these treats at a great price, pack of four, and they're nice and big--perfect for two. I mashed everything with the mortar and pestle and coated the chops before searing. At least resting for 5 minutes for carryover cooking and re-absorbing of juices, they were a perfect medium rare. Delish. 

Accomp was roasted brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt and pepper, started at 375 for 20 min almost, then tossed, and cooked more at 350 for another 10-20 minutes, depending on your level of liked doneness.  And then I poured half the fat from the lamb on top of them for kicks. Usually I use bacon fat...but that was all gone due to the Tapas craziness on Sunday. 

We had a nice Catalan white with it, light and crisp, not too acidic. And now I'm eating Andie's Mints that my mother sent me for St Nicholas Day. 

P.S.

The husband is having an apple blossom for finals. He says he regrets being referred to as "the husband," much like one would label "the garden trowel," says he. Hence forth I think I might refer to him as "the trowel" for kicks....