LCBO Food & Drink Winter 2018

TRENDS  A TASTE OF TAHINI

Seared lamb chops & pearl onions with mashed peas & mint tahini

Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter ⅓ cup (80 mL) water 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar Juice of half a lemon 1 Marinate lamb in olive oil and garlic on the counter for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. To peel pearl onions, trim the ends and drop in a pot of boiling water for less than a minute. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. The peels should pop off. 2 For sauce, add tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic and mint leaves to a blender. Purée until smooth. Season and taste. Cover and set aside. 3 Microwave or boil peas until tender and sweet, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and add to a me- dium bowl, stirring in sour cream, salt and pep- per. Using an immersion blender, pulse a few times. Cover and set aside. 4 Preheat a grill pan or large skillet tomedium- high heat. Season lamb well on both sides and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, depend-

Lamb and mint are a perfect pairing, but so too are peas and pearl onions. Add tahini to the mix, and the gang’s all here! A vibrant plate to perk up any mid-winter meal, and the minted tahini is superb on the juicy lamb chops. Use rib, loin or shoulder chops for this recipe. LAMB & ONIONS 8 lamb chops, about 1½ lbs (750 g)

ing on the size of your chops. Cooking them to medium-rare is preferred (slightly pink in the middle). Remove to a plate and tent with foil. Meanwhile, add butter and onions to the same grill pan or skillet, and sauté for 5 minutes until they start to caramelize. Add water and sugar and cook, uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes more, or until onions are tender and golden. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. 5 Place a mound of mashed peas on each plate, top with 2 lamp chops and caramelized onions, and spoon over mint tahini sauce. Serve at once. Serves 4

2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 2 cloves garlic, sliced 2 bags, each 10 oz (300 g), pearl onions MINT-TAHINI SAUCE ½ cup (125 mL) tahini, well stirred ¼ cup (60 mL) water Juice of ½ a lemon 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 bunch mint, about ½ cup (125 mL) Salt and pepper to taste MASHED PEAS 4 cups (1 L) frozen petite peas ½ cup (125 mL) full-fat (14%) sour cream Salt and pepper to taste

WHAT TO SERVE MontGras Carmenère Reserva LCBO 178624, $11.95 Sandbanks Cabernet Franc VQA LCBO 177485, $14.95

FOOD & DRI NK WINTER 2018 31