Ingredients
Lamb chops and pan sauce
Method
- Prepare everything before starting to cook. Cut the tomatoes into quarters or large dice, slice the garlic, drain the olives, strip the thyme leaves and chop the parsley. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper just before cooking.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. When hot, sear the chops for 2–3 minutes on the first side and about 2 minutes on the other until well coloured. Transfer to a plate.
- Lower the heat slightly, add garlic to the same pan and stir 20–30 seconds without letting it brown.
- Add tomatoes, olives and thyme. Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until the tomatoes release some juice while retaining their shape.
- Return the lamb chops to the pan for 2–3 minutes, turning once to coat in the juices. Taste and adjust the seasoning, scatter with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Equipment
Large frying pan; Plate
Notes
- Get ready first: cut the tomatoes, slice the garlic, drain the olives and prepare the herbs before starting to sear. Those jobs can be done ahead; cook the chops at the last moment.
- Choose and brown the chops: similar thicknesses cook more evenly. Dry any surface moisture and leave room in the hot pan so they colour rather than release water. The short stated cooking stages still need judging against the thickness of your chops.
- Keep the garnish distinct: choose ripe but firm tomatoes. Slice the garlic rather than pressing it, and warm it without letting it brown. The tomatoes should soften and release juice while keeping some shape.
- Adjust the juices: one or two spoonfuls of water will loosen tomatoes that begin to catch. Taste before adding salt because the olives already supply it. Outside tomato season, use a small amount of chopped tinned tomato in place of fresh, keeping the sauce short.
- Serve at once: sautéed potatoes, mash, green beans or bread suit the lamb and its tomato-olive juices.
- Next day: refrigerate any leftovers until the following day. Reheat gently, covered, with a small spoonful of water to loosen the juices.
Photos
1 photo
About this dish
Provençal cooking makes much of a few familiar ingredients: garlic and olive oil, ripe vegetables and the aromatic herbs of the surrounding hills. Thyme is part of the region’s garrigue, and its fragrance sits naturally beside lamb. With tomatoes and black olives, it gives these chops a southern French setting without requiring a complicated sauce.
Camille Durand's recipe is built around speed and concentration. Browning the chops first gives the pan savoury juices; taking them out lets the garnish cook without holding the meat over the heat. The garlic warms briefly, then the tomatoes release just enough liquid to bring those flavours together. Keeping their shape preserves the feel of a vegetable garnish rather than a smooth tomato sauce.
The lamb returns only for a short finish. Parsley and a final check of the seasoning complete the dish, with the olives already contributing much of its salt. Have everything ready and serve as soon as the pan is finished.
Recipe and cooking notes adapted from Cuisine du Quotidien.