Que Pasa NYC

If you follow me on twitter you might recall me raving about my Restaurant Week meal at Le Cirque this summer. While $35 per person is a steal for a meal there, it's still not something an amount that my partner and I can afford to dole out on a regular basis. Then there's also the fact that the dish we fell in love with (Pistachio encrusted lamb fillet with goat cheese, pea, and mint puree) is not on the regular menu. So, what are two foodies to do when they crave said fabulous dish? Try to recreate it at home.

I recall that as we sat there at Le Cirque we thought that the dish seemed so simple and straight forward we might actually be able to pull it off. Last night, with only the menu description to work with, we finally attempted it. I put together a recipe by researching cooking techniques for lamb steaks, pistachio crusts, and fresh peas. Below is the recipe we ended up with. The results were awesome!! We relived our Le Cirque meal (with bigger portion sizes), didn't break the bank (we also have left over ingredients), and added a new special recipe to our cooking repertoire.

Hope you enjoy it too!



Ingredients

• Lamb Round Steaks from Leg: this was our substitute for the ridiculously expensive lamb fillet. We bought 3 steaks for about $11 at Whole Foods.
• Roasted Salted Pistachios: After the lamb this was the 2nd priciest item ($8). We used about 3/4 cup (about 1/2 lb. have and ground them in my blender (because I need a food processor) to about the consistency of bread crumbs.
• Goat Cheese: A 4oz package was $3.99 and we used less than half.
• Fresh Peas: You need about a cup after shucking.
• Mint: About 20 leaves or to your taste (we love mint so we use more).
• Olive oil: For pan frying the lamb.
  
• Salt and Pepper: For seasoning the lamb.
• Water: For the pea puree.

The lamb steaks are on the thick side so you should pound them down to about an inch using a kitchen mallet or rolling pin. Season them with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the lamb steaks and cooking until medium, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the steaks but keep the pan on. Roll each steak in the ground pistachio nuts. Return the lamb to the pan to sear each side about 30 seconds. This will bring out the flavor of the pistachio nuts.

For the puree: Using a food processor, immersion blender, or regular blender (if you must), combine the peas, hand-shredded mint leaves, and goat cheese and water to make a puree. Add the water about a tablespoon at a time so that you do not get a watery consistency. Adjust the ingredients according to your taste and desired consistency. Serve as an accompaniment to the lamb.

Here's what ours looked like. As you can see, Ethan couldn't keep his hands off of it :D