Recipe: Lamb Chops Champvallon

Name: Lamb Chops Champvallon
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 12 high-quality lamb chops, frenched, about 2.8 oz (80 g) each (ideally salt-marsh lamb); 6 medium potatoes (charlotte or Bintje), peeled, washed, finely sliced and dried, or new potatoes from Ré or Noirmoutier, simply wiped; 2 large onions (Roscoff if you can find them), finely sliced; 3 cloves garlic (degerminated, crushed and chopped); 1 bay leaf cut in half; 1 pinch of fresh thyme flowers; 6 dl prepared beef broth; Salt and freshly ground pepper; Butter and oil; A little porcini powder (optional)

By chef patrick Asfaux 5/5 (10 reviews) · 🍳 6 made it

Recipe Lamb Chops Champvallon - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: Aftouch-cuisine

Prep 30 min

Cook 90 min

Total 2h

Servings 6 serv.

Legend has it that Madame de Champvallon prepared this recipe for Louis XIV, who was fond of Madame de Maintenon's lamb chops, so she could share his bed (which indeed happened that very evening).

The chops come from the best part of the lamb, tender and well-marbled. Count 80g per chop for a proper serving. Cooking happens in two stages: first sear the chops in a pan for color, then braise in the oven with onions and stock. Potatoes go in halfway through, they soak up all the pan juices and turn almost creamy. 45 minutes total and you're done.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

12 high-quality lamb chops, frenched, about 2.8 oz (80 g) each (ideally salt-marsh lamb)
6 medium potatoes (charlotte or Bintje), peeled, washed, finely sliced and dried, or new potatoes from Ré or Noirmoutier, simply wiped
2 large onions (Roscoff if you can find them), finely sliced
3 cloves garlic (degerminated, crushed and chopped)
1 bay leaf cut in half
1 pinch of fresh thyme flowers
6 dl prepared beef broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Butter and oil
A little porcini powder (optional)

Step-by-step directions

1 In a large sauté pan, add your butter and oil, then once it reaches a nice colour, add your chops to roast. Season with salt and pepper, roast for five minutes on each side, making sure the butter does not burn.

2 Preheat your oven to 390°F (200 °C) (gas mark 6-7) or to 210°F (100 °C) if you want to cook at low temperature.

3 Remove the chops and transfer them to an ovenproof earthenware dish.

4 In the same sauté pan, add the sliced onions and let them soften, then after five minutes, add half of the broth (mix in the porcini powder if you have it), bring to a boil and pour over the chops to cover them (if you need more liquid, add a little water). Place a third of the chopped garlic and the bay leaf halves on either side of the dish and sprinkle with thyme flowers.

5 Cook in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes.

6 Remove the dish, cover the chops with the sliced potatoes, the remaining garlic and pour over the remaining half of the broth.

7 Return to the oven for 45 minutes. If the top browns too much, cover with aluminium foil. Make sure to baste from time to time. At the end of cooking, all the broth will have been absorbed by the meat and potatoes. The dish will then look like a gratin. Serve in the centre of the table. Close your eyes and tell me if you've ever tasted potatoes with a flavour like that before!

Chef Patrick's Comment

This recipe is already excellent, but if you make it with salt-marsh lamb chops and new potatoes from Ré or Noirmoutier, it will then aim for the exceptional.

To make this dish using low-temperature cooking, add your lamb chops, then your potatoes and broth with the onions, and cook for 4 to 5 hours at 100 °C, absolutely delicious.

Frequently asked questions

Can I replace beef stock with another stock?

Yes, but beef is the right call here. Chicken stock would make it too light and sweet. Lamb stock would be overkill. A beef bouillon cube works fine if needed. Skip the regular supermarket cubes, they're too salty.

Why slice the potatoes thin and pat them dry?

Thin slices cook through evenly in 45 minutes. Patting them dry removes excess starch, or they turn into mush. You want individual slices that soak up the pan juices, not a gluey gratin.

How do I store leftovers and reheat?

Covered in the fridge for 3 days max. Reheat at 160°C for 20 minutes covered, add a splash of water or stock to moisten. Freezes for 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.