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Sautéed Lamb Medallions With Red Wine And Fresh Mint

french, main course

1 1/2 pounds saddle of lamb
boned, split, with loins barded and
(1 1/2 to 2 lbs.) and aprons reserv
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
2 cloves garlic
1 leek
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups fresh lamb or beef stock,
or canned beef broth
1 1/2 cups red Bordeaux wine
such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvigno
2 tablespoons butter; chilled
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

PREPARATION: Trim the apron meat of all fat and set aside. Peel the onion, carrot, and garlic. Coarsely chop the onion and carrot, and set aside with the garlic in a small bowl. Trim, clean, and coarsely chop the leek (using all of the white section and about 2 inches of the green tops), and add it to the bowl. In a heavy, medium, non-reactive skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Quarter each apron and sauté over medium heat until very brown, about 7 minutes. Measure 2 tablespoons mint leaves (wrap and refrigerate the remaining mint and add to the skillet along with the chopped vegetables, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover the skillet, lower the heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly colored and tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lamb stock and red wine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, skimming frequently, until strained liquid reduces to 1 1/4 cups, about 50-60 minutes. Discard solids and set strained liquid aside. (Can cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.) COOKING: Mince the remaining mint leaves. Cut the butter into small pieces and set aside. Slice loins into six to eight 1-1/4-inch thick medallions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy, non-reactive skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until very hot, but not smoking. Sauté medallions 2 minutes on each side until medium rare. Transfer medallions to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to high, pour the strained stock into the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Boil until stock reduces to 1 cup, 2-3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and whisk in butter, one piece at a time. Stir in the mint and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep sauce warm. SERVING: Transfer medallions to a cutting board and stir accumulated juices into the sauce. Remove string (and barding, if used) and put medallions onto individual plates. Spoon sauce around medallions; serve immediately. NOTES : Lightly browned pieces of lamb in a unique, rich sauce. Medallions, or “noisettes”of lamb are boneless slices cut from the loin. Ask the butcher to bone and split the double saddle for this purpose, which will yield two loin strips, to be trimmed, barded (wrapped in fat), tied and cut crosswise into medallions. In addition, there will be two small fillets which can be frozen for later use. Classic French technique insists that these tender but lean medallions be nourished during cooking with a thin barding of pork or lamb fat; some American butchers eschew this practice as unnecessary. COOK'S test kitchen did a comparison test in which one half of a trimmed loin was barded with pork fat before cutting and sautéing while medallions from the other half were cooked without barding. We found no discernible difference in taste, but the unbarded meat was drier and more shriveled in appearance. 3831 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3384 0 0 129 0 1244 0 0 0 0

Contributor: Cook's Magazine September/October 1988

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 3:00

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