We had a friend over for dinner Saturday. Well, to be more accurate, a friend was coming over around dinner time and I took the opportunity to cook something more elaborate than usual.

The menu was:

Blackened cherry smoked lamb chops
Mushroom risotto
Grilled asparagus

Blacken cherry smoked lamb chops

I marinated the lamb chops in red wine and garlic. I put a few tablespoons of the cherrywood chips in the smoker and about a teaspoon of mint leaves. After 40 minutes in the smoker on medium low heat I removed the chops. In a skillet I put couple teaspoons of ghee. I dusted the chops liberally with a red and black pepper blend and blackened them on high for a couple minutes on each site. They were a bit pink inside and delicious.

Mushroom risotto

Pretty simple here, though I went a less traditional red wine and beef broth instead of using white and chicken. I figured it would match better with the red wine we were going to drink with the meal. I used a mix of mushrooms and added some garlic too. It came out very yummy.

Grilled asparagus

I was going to steam the asparagus but I didn’t really have enough room on the stove for the steamer, so in desparation I cut the asparagus short enough to fit on the little George Foremen grill I have, drizzled them with olive oil and tossed them on the grill for about 5-6 minutes. Came out better than I expected.

Random observations…

I stayed simple with the risotto for once, I think I usually add too much stuff, though I am also usually making it the center of the meal instead of a side.

I think blackening the chops after smoking was very essential to how well they came out. The texture would have been less appealing and the flavor not complex enough otherwise.

Really, I was worried about the asparagus. I had wanted to keep it light and steam it, but the light drizzling and grilling really worked well, and was almost as light.