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fricassea di agnello, a pan roasted lamb chop dish from the Marche region of Italy, served in an egg and lemon sauce and presented in a rustic setting

Fricassea di agnello - Marche Lamb Chops with Egg and Lemon

A slow cooked lamb main course from the Marche region finished with a sauce of egg yolk and lemon juice.

Equipment

  • Wide sauté pan with a lid, large enough for four chops in one layer
  • Chopping board and knife
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Tongs
  • Fine grater or Microplane
  • Small bowl
  • Fork or small whisk

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp lard or 1 vegetable oil
  • 2 medium onions finely chopped
  • 60 grams pancetta cut into thin strips
  • 4 lamb loin chops
  • 1 pinch nutmeg freshly grated
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 250 ml dry white wine
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed

Instructions

  • Melt the lard in a hot pan, and cook the onion and pancetta over medium heat and cook until the onion turns pale gold.
  • Add the chops in a single layer, turn the heat to medium-high and brown them well on both sides.
  • Grate a tiny amount of nutmeg over the pan, then add salt and plenty of black pepper.
  • Pour in the wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon while it simmers for 10 to 15 seconds.
  • Lower the heat so the liquid barely simmers, then cover the pan with the lid.
  • Cook for 1 to 1½ hours, until the lamb feels very soft when you prod it with a fork. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water or stock if the liquid runs low.
  • Beat the egg yolk and lemon juice together lightly in a small bowl, then take the pan off the heat for a few minutes then pour the mixture over the chops and turn them to coat both sides.
  • Serve immediately with Italian rosemary potatoes and vegetables.

Notes

  1. Use any animal fat such as lard, or duck fat. But vegetable or olive oil would also work.
  2. The yolk cooks only from the heat of the chops and pan, so take the pan off the heat before adding it to avoid scrambling the egg.