Rosemary breaded lamb with balsamic reduction, cheesy polenta & pan fried artichoke hearts in lemon butter

For the Lamb:

4 Lamb Loin Chops

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

4 Garlic Cloves, Chopped

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 1/2 C Panko Breading

1 1/2 Tsp Dried Rosemary

1 Tsp Dried Thyme

4 Tbps Olive Oil, for frying

For the Balsamic Reduction:

3 C. Chicken Stock

1 Tsp. Rosemary

1/4 C Onion, Chopped

3/4 C Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbsp. Garlic, Minced

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Pepper

(Can add chopped mushrooms if desired as well)

For the Cheesy Polenta:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil +extra

3/4 C Chopped Yellow Onion

2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 1/2 C. Chicken Stock

3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

1 C. Cornmeal

1/4 C. Feta Cheese

1 1/2 Tsp. Kosher Salt

1/2 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/4 C. Grated Parmesan

For the Pan Fried Artichokes in Lemon Butter:

1 Package frozen artichoke hearts (Normally would not use frozen, but due to time restraints this was the only option.)

1/4 C Water

1 C All purpose Flour

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Pepper

1 Tbsp Paprika

4 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Place Lamb chops in pan. Coat with salt, pepper, then olive oil. Add rosemary sprigs and garlic. Cover and place in refrigerator. 

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large, oven safe sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and salt and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Turn heat to high and add chicken stock, then bring to a boil. 

Add cornmeal gradually and continuously whisk mixture. Add feta and mix well. Cover and place in oven for 35 minutes. Mix about every ten minutes to avoid clumps. Once mixture is creamy, remove from oven and add butter, salt and pepper. Then gradually add the Parmesan cheese. 

(Reduction) Boil stock with rosemary and onions (as well as mushrooms, if desired) on high heat on stove for about 20 minutes, or until it reduces to about half. Add balsamic vinegar and heat on low until it turns into a sauce like  thickness. Add garlic, salt and pepper, mix well.

Put 4 Tbsp. olive oil in stove top pan and place on Med-High heat. Combine panko breading, rosemary and thyme. One by one, place each lamb chop in panko mixture, making sure to coat the outer fat side well.

Place lamb chops in pan with olive oil. Cook for about 6 minutes on each side, or until temperature reaches 120- 145 degrees (F), depending on how well done you would prefer it to be. I usually prefer lamb to be on the medium-rare side. 

Bring 1/4 C. Water to a boil. Add artichoke hearts. Cover and leave cook for five minutes. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika in medium sized bowl. Heat butter and lemon juice in stove top pan on medium heat. Remove artichokes from stove. Coat in flour mixture.

Place in pan with lemon juice and butter. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. These were EXCELLENT! Adding the paprika really gives these artichokes a good flavor. Can also ad 1 Tsp of lemon rind in with the butter and lemon juice for cooking. Ginger would probably be good to try in with the flour mixture as well. 

For placement:

For each plate, pack polenta in a 1/2 C measuring cup. Flip upside down  on the plate and tap on the top until it slides out easily. 

Add lamb chops slightly leaned resting on the polenta, one over the other and then place artichoke hearts in the back left corner of the plate. Cover lamb chops with a tablespoon or two of balsamic reduction. Add a small sprig of rosemary in the middle of the polenta for garnish.