Grilled Lamb Chops with Roasted Meyer Lemon Puree

Inspired by How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking.

Serves 6

12 thin lamb chops, not thick (if the chops are thick, have the butcher cut them in half - this is what we had to do)
about 2 c. good olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 shallot, minced
6 Meyer lemons
1 Tbls. dijon mustard

Rub chops with one clove of garlic. Place chops in a bowl and coat with 1/2 - 3/4 c. olive oil (enough to coat), bay leaf, fresh thyme and chopped shallot for a couple of hours. Or, if you made the garlic confit, simply coat chops with this pantry staple. Be sure to pull the meat out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before grilling so they are not so chilled.

To make the lemon puree, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll lemons in foil (like you would a baked potato) and make a tight seal. On a baking sheet, make several mounds of salt and place lemons on top. This may seem strange and unnecessary, however it is something you must do to protect the skin from burning (see picture). Roast until lemons feel soft and squishy about 2 hours. Unwrap and let cool. Open the lemons over a bowl and remove seeds, saving any juice that drips. Combine the lemons, peel, flesh and any juices with mustard and 2 cloves of crushed garlic in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add 1 c. olive oil and process again. Season with salt and pepper. Note: If the mixture seems too thick, add some fresh lemon juice to the puree.

Grill meat and then brush with lemon puree. Let rest for about 10 minutes. Serve with extra lemon puree on the side. To keep things simple: roasted potatoes and sauteed spinach go well with this dish.