Pesto-Crusted Lamb Cutlets with Eggplant and Olive Caponata
This dish of lamb cutlets, although inspired by the abundant basil of late spring, is a wonderful dish to have any time of year. It is a great choice when entertaining, as you can crumb the lamb hours before and prepare the caponata a day before.
All you need to do when your friends arrive is to cook the lamb, warm the caponata, let the wine breathe, and sit down to dinner.
Enjoy this delicious lamb cutlets
Pesto Crusted Lamb Cutlets with Eggplant and Olive Caponata
This lamb cutlets (or chops) dish, although inspired by the abundance of basil in late spring, is a wonderful dish for any time of year.
Ingredients
Caponata:
- 1 caponata
Pesto:
- 3 bunches basil leaves picked, stems discarded
- 3/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tbsp garlic roasted, chopped (approx 2 cloves)
- sea salt flakes
- freshly ground black pepper
Lamb:
- 12 lamb cutlets ask your butcher to French and flatten them
- 3 cups dried bread crumbs
- 2 cups plain flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Ensure that the Caponata is prepared and ready to go.
- Preheat oven to 180° Celsius or 350° Fahrenheit.
How to prepare 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.
How to prepare the lamb cutlets (chops)
- Lightly beat the egg and add the milk.
- Place the flour in 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 until you have an even texture.
- Dust the cutlets with 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 the cutlets in a little butter mixed with extra virgin olive oil and transfer to the oven for 5-10 minutes, depending on whether you want them well done or medium-rare.
- Meanwhile, 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.
Notes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Made the lamb last night. Adlibbed the pesto and it was beautiful didnt make the caponata i made my own red wine jus. Definitely will make again
Thank you for pointing out the missing olive oil for the pesto. It has now been added.
sorry I see the pesto incorp into the breadcrumbs
it doesnt say how much oil for the pesto? It also doesnt say how to incorporate the pesto into the breadcrumb mix?? cheers
it doesnt say how much oil for the pesto? cheers