The best thing about mint is this: If you have a yard, there’s no reason you should ever have to buy the stuff again. It grows like kudzu, and even if you snip half the leaves in your garden for a round of frozen swamps or mint juleps, you’ll have plenty for next weekend’s mojitos.
Wash your mint by submerging the leaves in a bowl of water and swishing them around. Remove the leaves and dry on paper towels in the fridge. (Don’t discard the swishing-water; your mint bed is thirsty for it.)
Most applications for mint run to the sweet side of life: minted lemonade, mint-chocolate chip brownies, mint Jell-O. But mint is a smart addition to savory dishes too, and not just Greek ones.
Take good old English mint sauce, a bracing addition to those lamb chops you’re planning for the grill. This is the classic, straightforward version, which is beautiful alone but also benefits from a few leaves of thyme, rosemary or another of those early-summer herbs in your backyard.
Missing John Broening? He’ll be back in this space soon. Meantime, you can catch him cooking at his brand-new restaurant, Olivea, located at 719 E. 17th Ave. in Denver.
Grilled Lamb Chops With English Mint Sauce
Note: Lamb chops can be pricey. Good thing this sauce also works well with lamb shoulder, lamb shank, or even chicken. Serves 4.
Ingredients
MINT SAUCE
1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves, thoroughly washed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup malt vinegar
LAMB CHOPS
8 lamb rib chops
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Make mint sauce: Chop mint fine. Add to small saucepan with sugar and water. Bring to a boil, cook 1 minute, remove from heat stir in malt vinegar, and set aside to cool. (Can be kept in fridge for up to 1 month.)
Make lamb chops: Preheat grill to high. Rub olive oil onto both sides of lamb chops and season well with salt and pepper. Place chops on grill, reduce heat to medium, and cook 4-6 minutes on each side until done to your liking. Place on platter and allow to sit 10 minutes. Drizzle mint sauce over the top and serve.
