Medallion of Lamb with Green and Black Provencal Olives, Eggplant Caviar and Basil-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Basil-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:
- 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 3 cups tightly packed basil leaves, washed and stemmed
- 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large Italian eggplants
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
- salt and pepper
Medallion of Lamb with Green and Black Olives:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 5-ounce lamb medallions
- 2 tablespoons sweet butter
- quick lamb sauce (recipe follows)
- 1/2 cup green olives, chopped
- 1/2 cup Nicoise olives, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley (for garnish)
- 1-1/2 pounds lamb bones, broken into approximately 1-inch pieces
- canola oil
- chicken or vegetable stock
- vegetables, finely chopped
- butter or extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Basil-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:
- Bring a 4- or 5-quart saucepan of water to a full boil.
- Add kosher salt.
- Add basil and blanch for 45 seconds.
- Drain in a basket strainer and cool under running water.
- Squeeze excess water from basil leaves and place them in an Oster® blender container with olive oil.
- Begin blending at low speed to break up leaves.
- Once basil begins to blend freely, turn to high speed and continue blending for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Place in a glass storage container and refrigerate overnight in order to create an intensely flavored and richly colored oil.
- Secure cheesecloth around the rim of a shallow wide-mouthed container.
- Pour in oil and allow to strain. This will take up to an hour, depending on temperature of oil.
- After oil has strained, gently wring cheesecloth for maximum extraction. The remaining basil pulp can be used for pesto, as a marinade for chicken, in sauces, or on pasta.
- Basil-infused extra-virgin olive oil has a refrigerated shelf life of 3 to 4 weeks.
- Wash eggplants.
- Puncture skin and rub each eggplant with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Bake in 375-degree oven until tender.
- Remove from oven, cut open, and scrape out meat.
- Put meat in a piece of cheesecloth and wring out excess moisture. Then place meat in an Oster® food processor.
- Add mustard.
- Blend while adding olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Medallion of Lamb with Green and Black Olives:
- Heat oil in a large saute pan until hot.
- Season lamb medallions and add to pan. Cook over high flame until meat has caramelized.
- Turn over and continue to cook until other side has caramelized.
- Reduce heat. Add butter and cook for 2 minutes. (Total cooking time for medium-rare is 6 minutes.)
- Remove meat from pan and keep warm.
- Drain off excess fat, and deglaze pan with sauce.
- Add olives, and adjust seasoning.
- Within 30 to 45 minutes, this procedure can yield a sauce with the same intense flavor, same viscosity and same rich color as restaurants produce.
- Heat an Oster® Electric Skillet to medium heat with enough canola oil to coat the bottom.
- Add bones to hot oil and roast until well browned on all sides.
- Discard any oil that has accumulated in the skillet in excess of that amount of oil used at the start. Add to this enough water to cover bones by half.
- Reduce heat and simmer until all liquid has evaporated. Repeat this step using a natural chicken or vegetable stock.
- Once second reduction is complete and bones begin to roast, add other flavoring components desired, such as mirepoix, tomatoes, or herbs (chop fine for maximum flavor extraction).
- Continue to roast until vegetables are caramelized.
- At this point, add three times as much liquid as the volume of bones. The liquid is cook's choice: water, stock and half water, or perhaps a small amount of sauce left from previous recipe.
- Reduce volume by half.
- Strain twice, once through a coarse strainer and then through a fine-mesh strainer (chinois).
- Reduce a little more if desired.
- Finish sauce by adding a little butter or extra-virgin olive oil.
- Place 1 tablespoon of eggplant caviar in center of plate.
- Top with lamb medallion, and spoon olive sauce on top.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and basil-infused olive oil.
