Grilled Lamb Chops with Perfumed Rice

The meat in Italy tastes very different than the meat in the U.S. Our lamb chops this evening were a perfect example. In the U.S. the lamb I have eaten is either too gamey tasting and tough or it has no flavor at all. Tonight’s chops were well marbled, tender and had the perfect amount of "lamb-y" goodness. Most of our dinners are simple, I would like to perfect a few more complicated dishes but I find the simple ones are more manageable on a daily basis and just as delicious.
Here’s the simple recipe:

Lamb Chops with Perfumed Rice
Serves 2 as a main course

For the sauce:
1 T each of celery, onion, carrot and leeks
2 small sprigs of rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
Olive oil
½ C. stock, water or wine (I used stock)
S+P

1. Add a bit of olive oil to the pan and let heat up a bit, sauté all the veggies until translucent but not browned.
2. Add rosemary and liquid and cook until everything is softened, up to 30 mins.
3. Pass the sauce through a fine mesh sieve and set aside in another small sauce pan. If the sauce is too thick, add a tiny bit of water, if to thin reduce a bit more. Taste for seasonings and keep warm until the lamb is ready.

For the Lamb:
6-8 lamb chops, dried at room temp. and seasoned with salt and pepper

1. Grill the lamb, until your liking. We like it medium to medium rare and let rest for 5 mins.

For the Rice:
1 C. Basmati rice to 1-1 1/4 C. water
Zest of 1 lemon
2-3 T. chopped parsley

1. Wash the rice a few times to get rid of excess starch or until the water runs clear.
2. Cook rice on the drier side but still al dente, then set aside to cool a bit. (So you don’t cook the parsley.)
3. When ready to serve the lamb chops, add the parsley, zest and a bit of olive oil to the rice and fluff with a fork before serving. Buon appetito!