Lamb Loin Chops with Roasted Fennel, Tomatoes, and Olives

For the roasted vegetables:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Fill a medium pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Blanch the fennel until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold running water. Drain well.

In a large overproof skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat until the butter is melted. Saut the fennel until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, olives, and lemon confit and pour in the stock. Place in the oven until the vegetables are soft and roasted, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

For the lamb chops:

Season the chops oil both sides with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat until just smoking. Add the chops, reduce the heat to medium, and cook about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until cooked through, another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to rest 4 to 5 minutes. Divide among 4 serving plates and spoon the roasted vegetables alongside.

Variation:

For roasted vegetables, substitute Ratatouille or Confit Bayaldi .

Serve roasted vegetables with:

Simple Roasted Chicken Saddle of Lamb Rack of lamb Roasted veal chops Herb-Roasted Halibut Roasted Cod Seared and roasted tuna or swordfish