Smothered Lamb Chops & Fennel with Collard Greens & Kale

After eating this meal, my husband turned to me and said “Baby, you gotta add this one to your top 10”.  I said awe baby you make me blush!!!!  But seriously this meal was that good!  Fennel was a nice change from onions especially since my husband doesn’t like onions!  My kids were like “lamb Mommy really?? do we have to??” … but after they tasted it they asked for seconds!!  YES, that’s the power of flavor BABY!!  I hope you enjoy this filling and flavorful meal as much as we did!!  Enjoy, Enjoy and one more ENJOY!!

Gravy so tasty, lamb so tender and greens so juicy, WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY I AM BABABA BAD TO DA BONE! In a really good kinda way!! HAHA

SMOTHERED LAMB CHOPS & FENNEL WITH COLLARD GREENS & KALE

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 lamb chops
1 fennel bulb sliced and halved
8 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
8 tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups Marsala cooking wine (or any red wine)
1 one pound bag of collard greens (pre-washed and pre-cut)
½ pound bag of kale (pre-washed and pre-cut)
2 cups water
¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
1 smoked turkey wing
Sea Salt (to taste)
Ground pepper (to taste)
Granulated Garlic (to taste)
Spanish paprika (or regular paprika – to taste)

READY, SET GO:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Wash lamb chops
3. Rub lamb chops with 4 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
4. Season lamb chops with sea salt, ground pepper, granulated garlic and spanish paprika
5. Add 4 tbsp. to a large sauté pan on high heat for 2-4 minutes or until oil is hot, then turn down to medium heat
6. Add lamb chops to the extra virgin olive oil in the sauté pan to give the lamb chops a nice sear on both sides, remember we are searing not cooking so only 2-3 minutes on each side or until you get a nice brown color (don’t over crowd the pan, if you need put two lamb chops at a time and set others aside until they are all seared)
7. Place seared lamb chops in a glass or aluminum baking pan and add fennel on top
8. Before you put the lamb chops in the oven, let’s make the gravy
9. Using the same pan from which you removed the lamb chops (don’t clean it because we will use the drippings from the seared lamb chops), keep on medium heat and add the Marsala wine, chicken stock, flour, sea salt and ground pepper and whisk together until it comes to a boil
10. After gravy comes to a boil, remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before pouring over your lamb chops (it will gel in the oven)
11. Once lamb chops and fennel are bathing in the gravy, cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake covered for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until lamb chops are falling off the bone (YUM)
12. Let’s Make the Collard Greens & Kale
13. Add water and chicken stock to a large boiling pot on high heat until it comes to a boil
14. Add collard greens and kale to the pot of boiling water and chicken stock and mix together
15. Turn heat down to low to medium, cover with a lid and cook for 30 minutes
16. In the meantime boil 2 cups of water in a medium boiling pot and  add the smoked turkey wing (and turn heat down to medium), allow to cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes
17. Carefully drain hot water from smoked turkey meat, allow to cool for 5 minutes and carefully carve the turkey meat off the smoked turkey and chop into small pieces
18. Add chopped pieces of smoked turkey wing meat to the collard greens and kale (you can drop the bone in for more flavor and just take the bone out before serving)
19. Add sea salt, ground pepper and apple cider vinegar, cover again and allow to cook for another 30 minutes – stirring occasionally
20. Plate your smothered lamb & fennel & Collards & kale and be happy!!
21. Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy and one more Enjoy!!

Tip #1:  Lay your smothered Lamb Chops over some white rice

Tip #2:   See Fennel Picture (many people say they don’t know what fennel looks like)

This is what fennel looks like in the grocery store but don’t use the stems only the bulb and cut it like you would an onion!!