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cinnamon spiced lamb lollipops

Cinnamon Spiced Lamb Lollipops with Apricot-Walnut Relish and Preserved Lemon

Cinnamon-spiced lamb lollipops seared hard and rested, served with an apricot-walnut relish and preserved lemon. A private chef cocktail hour recipe from Partum Events Newport.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cinnamon-Spiced Lamb
  • 8 lamb lollipops (frenched rib chops)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil for searing
Apricot-Walnut Relish
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup walnuts toasted, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp shallot finely minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
Preserved Lemon Finish
  • 1 tbsp preserved lemon rind minced fine
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Equipment

  • Misen 5-Ply Stainless Steel Pan for hard sear at high heat
  • Cutco 1738 Gourmet Prep Knife for finely mincing apricots, walnuts, shallot, preserved lemon
  • Microplane Zester Grater for grating preserved lemon rind

Method
 

Prepare the Lamb
  1. Combine the cinnamon, coriander, smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper, and salt. Pat the lamb lollipops dry, coat all sides with the spice rub, and let them sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
    2. Room temperature lamb sears faster and more evenly. Cold lamb from the fridge causes the outside to overcook before the inside reaches temperature.
  2. Heat a heavy stainless skillet over high heat until smoking. Add the oil and sear the lamb lollipops 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium-rare, working in batches to avoid crowding.
    3. You want a hard sear, not a steam. If the pan sounds like a simmer instead of a crack when the lamb goes in, it is not hot enough.
  3. Remove the lamb to a wire rack. Rest for 5 minutes before plating.
    4. Five minutes of rest is not optional. Cut too early and the juices run out onto the board instead of staying in the meat.
Build the Relish
  1. Combine the chopped apricots, toasted walnuts, minced shallot, parsley, olive oil, and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Let it sit while the lamb finishes.
    2. The rest time matters. Apricots soften slightly. Shallot mellows, losing its edge. Oil and vinegar emulsify loosely around the fruit and nuts.
Finish and Plate
  1. Toss the minced preserved lemon rind with olive oil. Set aside.
  2. Spoon the relish onto the serving platter. Arrange the rested lamb lollipops over the relish, bones pointing up.
  3. Finish with the preserved lemon mixture over the lamb just before serving.
    4. Preserved lemon goes on last and in small amounts. It is an accent, not a sauce.

Notes

Plating: Warm plate. Two lollipops upright, leaning into each other, bones pointing up. Relish mounded around the base and spooned across the crust so it catches on the meat. Flaky salt pinched at the pass. Rest five minutes off the pan before service so the juice sets.
Wine pairing: Grenache from the southern Rhone, a Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Village-level Gigondas.
Prep ahead: Season the lamb up to 24 hours ahead, uncovered in the fridge. Make the relish up to two hours ahead. Sear to order.
Scaling for service: Two lollipops per person passed, three for a plated course. To 8 plated (24 chops): sear in three batches in a ripping hot stainless, 90 seconds per side. Do not crowd or they steam. To 16 plated: season 24 hours ahead uncovered in the fridge for a better crust, sear in batches of 8, rest 3 minutes. The apricot-walnut relish scales linearly, no change. Preserved lemon gets diced finer at scale so every plate gets a hit.
Dietary swaps: GF and DF as written. Not vegetarian. For nut-free: swap the walnuts in the relish (step 4) for toasted sunflower seeds or pepitas. The texture holds, the fat note is slightly lighter. The preserved lemon in the relish is load-bearing, do not sub fresh zest for the full amount, one teaspoon of zest plus a teaspoon of juice gets you 80 percent of the way if you have no preserved lemon on hand.