This recipe, like most French recipes, is based on locally sourced ingredients, in this case foods from Normandy.  Normandy is known for its milk products like creme fraiche as well as veal.  If you don't already know, a cow gives milk only after she has had a calf and most dairy calves go into veal.  A bit south of Normandy you'll find the Loire Valley and the village of Sancerre which makes some of the most famous Sauvingnon Blanc wines in the world.  As near neighbors, Sancerre wines quickly find their way into Normandy's cuisine.  Our Eco-lamb Normandy will make ample use of creme fraiche (or sour cream), butter, and Sauvignon Blanc wine.

Test Kitchen Notes:

To test this recipe I used arm and chuck steaks.  They were a bit tough, so in the future I'll use those in a slow braising recipe such as the Lancashire Hotpot I'll be blogging next week.  Instead I would suggest using loin chops or rib chops in this recipe.  I would also consider adapting this recipe to use with a loin roast to be seared on the stove top and finished in the oven.  To get a better understanding of our meat I bought conventional lamb from Australia to cook at the same time in a separate skillet.  I found the conventional meat to be very fatty with a very mild flavor.  I don't think I could have identified at as lamb in a blind test.  Our Eco-lamb, in contrast, was very lean and had more intense flavors as if it were pre-seasoned with the wild herbs the sheep were grazing. The fat was also a bit more yellow than the conventional lamb which suggests a higher level of anti-oxidants in the meat.  In addition the meat of our Eco-Lamb was also a darker pink than the grocery store meat.  Immediately when I put the steaks in the skillet the conventional chops began to smoke and continued to do so even though I lowered the temperature.  The final dishes were quite different.  The sauce with my Eco-Lamb was a light blond as it should have been, and it allowed the herbal character of the Eco-lamb to come thru.  The sauce for the conventional lamb was dark brown and although it tasted generally OK, there was a slightly acrid/burned taste on the finish.  It certainly was not a bad dish, but there was nothing characteristic of the lamb or the wine in the final product.  It could have passed for a pork chop in a brown sauce.  

Wine:

The wine I used in the recipe was a Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc from Mason Cellars in California.  It was light and crisp with distinct grapefruit aroma, and cost about $13.  It was delicious with the meal, but if I were not drinking the wine I would have used a less expensive, Sauvignon Blanc, because the grapefruit aroma is lost in the sauce.  I recommend the little four packs of wine with twist tops.  They are the perfect size for cooking and stay fresh for 2 or 3 years.  If you prefer not to cook with wine, apple juice makes an excellent substitute, although the final sauce will be a bit sweeter. 

Non-alcohol Opportunity:

 A sparking apple juice would be delicious along side this dish, in particular because it also supports the theme of Normandy.  In addition to dairy, Normandy is an important apple producing region.  

Eco-Lamb Normandy

4 rib or loin chops

1/2 cup Sancerre wine ( a New Zealand or California Sauvignon Blanc is a good substitute and apple juice can be substituted as a non-alcoholic option)

4T creme fraiche or sour cream (I use the light sour cream)

1 T butter per chop (in this case a total of 4T)

1/2 tsp thyme (1 1/2 tsp if using fresh thyme)

white pepper

salt

Defrost the chops

Season the chops with salt 

Heat a heavy non-stick skillet for two or three minutes over a medium flame/electric

Lower heat slightly and add the butter to the skillet

As soon as the butter stops foaming add the chops. (I always put a weight on my chops to get an even crust)

Cook the chops on the first side for two to three minutes.  Once they have a perfect crust turn them over.

Cook the chops on the second side for one or two minutes until you just start to see pink juices coming thru the top crust.

Turn the chops once quickly to cook those pink juices

Remove the chops to a warm plate and cover with a foil tent to rest about 10 minutes

Add the wine to the skillet and raise the temperature a bit until it simmers vigorously 

Add the thyme to the liquid

Reduce the wine by half  (I often reduce it further because I like a thicker sauce)

Remove the skillet from the heat  

Add the creme fraiche/sour cream

Season the sauce with salt and white pepper

Plate the chops and top with the warm sauce.  

Serve with parsley potatoes and green peas.  (or you can serve the chops with any vegetables you like)

 

Happy Grazing!