American Lamb Caesar Salad

From: Chef Edward Leonard, CMC, AAC, Westchester Country Club, Rye, NY. Yield: 12 servings.

Lamb:

6 lb. American Lamb blade chops

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

to taste, kosher salt

to taste, crushed red pepper flakes

18 stalks fresh rosemary

Caesar Dressing:

3 garlic cloves, minced

9 white anchovy fillets

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

6 Tbsp. pasteurized egg yolks

6 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

6 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. mint

¾ cup Greek yogurt

1½ cups extra virgin olive oil

Pitas:

12 pita breads

to taste, kosher salt

to taste, pepper

6 oz. clarified butter

3 hearts of romaine

¾ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated

Salad Mix:

6 Tbsp. tomatoes, diced

6 Tbsp. kalamata olives, diced

6 Tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

36 white anchovies

For lamb: Trim any extra fat and remove bones. Pound lamb chops between 2 pieces of paper until thin; cut into 12 cutlets. Season with oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper flakes Place ½ of rosemary on baking dish; place lamb cutlets on rosemary. Place remaining rosemary on top; marinate for 20 minutes. Grill lamb cutlets over high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Reserve.

For Caesar Dressing: In small food processor add garlic, anchovy filllets and pinch salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Add yolks, lemon juice, water, mint and yogurt; process for 30 seconds. With processor running, slowly add oil to form an emulsion. Remove mixture from processor to small bowl. Adjust seasoning if necessary and reserve for service.

For pitas: Season both sides with salt and pepper; drizzle with melted clarified butter. Place bread on wire rack, then on baking sheet Toast at 350°F until golden brown. Reserve for service.

For romaine: Place dressing in squirt bottle. Holding heart of romaine upright, dress inside and outside of lettuce. Wrap dressed romaine heart in plastic wrap tightly to form cylinder. Refrigerate ½ hour to hold shape.

For Parmigiano cookies: Place silicone mat onto baking sheet. Using 4” round mold to keep circular shape, sprinkle cheese onto mat, repeating 12 times. Bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes or until cheese has slightly browned. Allow to cool; remove from mat.

For salad: Mix tomatoes, olives, feta and olive oil well.

To assemble: Place pita in center of each plate. Top with lamb. Cut each head of romaine into 4 equal slices (1½-2” thick). Place romaine round on each lamb slice. Top each romaine with salad mix. Top with Parmigiano cookie. Roll each anchovy and place 3 on each plate. Drizzle with remaining dressing and extra virgin olive oil.