Lamb with apricot sauce and Potato Fontina Tart

I love to rumage through the bargin books bin at the store. I found this great book entitled "Tarts". It was only $2.99.. what a deal so into my basket it went!

As I was sipping a warm cup of coco reading my new book, I found this great recipe: Potato, Fontina, and rosemary tart. It is was the perfect side dish to the Lamb I was going to prepare. If you do not like to make pastry, use store bought! Works just fine. Here is what you need:

Puff Pastry: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
6 oz unsalted butter
about 2/3 cup chilled water
OR you can use a 9oz ready-made puff pastry


Filling: 3-4 Medium waxy potatoes, peel and slice very thin. Use a mandoline if you can.
10 1/2 oz Fontina cheese cut into cubes;
1 red onion thinly sliced
3 large springs fresh rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 egg yolk

To make the puff pastry sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and rub in 2 tsbp butter. Gradually add the water, just enough to bring the pastry togther, and knead briefly to form a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let chill for 30 minutes. Keep the remaining butter out of the refrigerator, wrap it in a piece of plastic wrap, and shape it into a 1 1/4 inche thick rectangle. Roll out the dough to a rectangle 3 times longer and 1 1/4 wider than the butter and place the butter in the center, long side toward you. Fold over the 2 "wings" of dough to enclose the butter press down the edges to seal and then turn the dough so the short side faces you. Roll the dough to its original length. fold into 3, turn, and roll again to ity original length. Repeat this once more then rewrap the dough and let chill again for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and repeat the rolling and turnig twice more. Let chill again for 30 minutes. At this point you can freeze the dough until you need it. AGAIN, IF THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU TO DO, USE A PRE-SHAPED PIE CRUST OR BUY SOME PUFF PASTRY!

Roll the dough into a large circle and place on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375. Arrange the potato slices in a spiral, overlapping the slices to cover the dough leaving a 3/4 inch mnargin round the edge. BUT if using a pre-made pie shell just layer the potatoes in the shell.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the potatoes. Add onions and cheese sprinke with the rosemarly and drizzle with olive oil.
Brush pie crust with the egg yolk and bake for a good 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the pastry is brown and crisp.

Lamb with apricot sauce: Hint: do not use a non stick pan. You will want the pan to create nice amount of fond. (those wonderful bits of meat that are crispy)

1/3 cup dried apricots, hopped
1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 15oz can apricots in juice
tablespoon canola oil
4 lamb chops
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 cup chicken stock or broth
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chili powder I just added a little chili powder at first, you can always add more after you taste.
salt and pepper.

Soak the dried apricots in the cider until plump.( I did not have any cider so used apple juice) Transfer apricots and cider to blender. Add the canned apricots with their juice. Puree but leave some chunks. Set aside.

Heat oil and brown the lamb on both sides, transfer to a plate.

Add shallots to pan and cook until lightly brown

Add chicken broth/stock and apricot juice and scrape up all brown bits.

Add rosemary and chili

Add the chops to the sauce and cover. Simmer for at least 45 minutes.

This recipe came from the January issue of Bon Appetit.
It was an advertisemnt on page(40). It called form pork chops but I prefer lamb.

I served this with a nice salad and bold red wine. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

And remember: Cook with love and your heart!

Kitchen Cutie