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Pesto Crusted Lamb Cutlets with Eggplant and Olive Caponata

Recipe serves: 4

A Little Background

This dish, although inspired by the abundant basil of late spring, is a wonderful dish to have any time of year. I find it a great choice for entertaining, as you can crumb the lamb hours before and the caponata can be made as early as a day before. All you'll need to do when your friends arrive is cook the lamb, warm the caponata, let the wine breathe and sit down to dinner.

What you'll need
For the Caponata

1 recipe Caponata

For the pesto

3 bunches basil (leaves picked, stems discarded)
3/4 cup pine nuts (lightly toasted)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1 tbsp roasted garlic chopped (approx 2 cloves)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt flakes
Black pepper corn mill

For the cutlets

12 lamb cutlets (ask your butcher to French, slightly tenderize and flatten them)
3 cups dried bread crumbs
2 cups plain flour
4 eggs
1 cup milk

Chefspencil.com - Pesto Crusted Lamb Cutlets with Eggplant and Olive Caponata

What to do

Ensure that the Caponata is prepared and ready to go
Preheat oven to 180 (350 fahrenheit).

For the pesto

Place the basil leaves into your food processor and pulse until all the leaves are chopped.
Add the pine nuts, parmesan and garlic and process on high while adding the oil in a steady stream.
Process until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the lamb

Lightly beat the egg and add the milk.
Place the flour into a wide bowl or dish and season with salt and pepper.
Place the crumbs into a wide bowl or dish and mix in the pesto, (it may become lumpy but keep mixing it until you have an even texture.
Dust the cutlets in the flour, keeping the bone clean.
Then one at a time, moisten them with the egg and milk wash, again keeping the bone clean.
Allow the egg wash to slightly drain off and crumb them with the pesto bread crumb mix.
Place in the fridge if you are preparing ahead of time, or move right onto the next step.
Over medium-high heat, brown them off in a little butter mixed with extra virgin olive oil and transfer them to the oven for 5-10 minutes depending on whether you want well done or medium-rare cutlets.
Meanwhile continue to warm the caponata and serve together once the lamb is done.
I recommend a medium bodied red such as a Shiraz to go with this dish.

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Recipe By Paul Hegeman
Styling By Paul Hegeman
Photography By Jason Hamilton
© Chef's Pencil 2007