Agnello alla Scottadito: Italian Grilled Lamb Chops Recipe

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Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Marinating Time: 12 hrs
Total: 12 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

This grilled lamb chop recipe is called Agnello alla scottadito in Italian. "Scottadito" means "finger-burning," and with these chops, it's a risk because they're so delicious and fragrant, you might find it difficult to wait for them to cool before grabbing one to taste it.

This particular recipe originated in the Valpolicella area not far from the city of Verona, in northeastern Italy's Veneto region.

It would be great for an Easter dinner or a spring or summertime cookout, paired with a Valpolicella Classico red wine and perhaps an artichoke side dish (Roman-styled Braised Artichokes with Oregano and MInt) and/or an asparagus risotto (Risotto agli asparagi).

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

  • 3 to 4 juniper berries

  • 3 to 4 whole peppercorns

  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and trimmed

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 1 to 2 bay leaves

  • 2 lemons, cut into slices

  • 2 1/4 pounds baby lamb chops

  • Fine sea salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Combine the extra-virgin olive oil and white wine in a large mixing bowl.

  3. Crush the juniper berries, peppercorns, garlic, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt together in a mortar and pestle until you obtain a rough paste.

  4. Transfer this paste to the olive oil-and-wine mixture and stir to mix well.

  5. Tear the bay leaves roughly and stir them in as well. Add the lemon slices (squeezing them just a bit before adding them to the marinade), and marinate the lamb in this marinade for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator, turning the pieces occasionally.

  6. Shake off any excess liquid before cooking the lamb chops. You can either cook the marinated lamb chops in a skillet over a brisk flame or grill them on charcoal (preferable) or gas grill.

  7. In any case, lay lemon slices from the marinade over the chops as they cook, turn the chops occasionally, and season them well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper when they're almost done. It should take about 8 to 10 minutes for them to be done.

  8. Serve with lemon wedges that can be squeezed over the lamb before eating. 

Tip

  • If you're grilling them over charcoal, you might also want to baste them with the marinade as they cook.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
794 Calories
55g Fat
30g Carbs
51g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 794
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 55g 70%
Saturated Fat 21g 104%
Cholesterol 155mg 52%
Sodium 591mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 7g 27%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 51g
Vitamin C 143mg 716%
Calcium 92mg 7%
Iron 6mg 31%
Potassium 950mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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