Messina-style lamb chops (Agneddu alla Messinese)

Sicilian cuisine is about light flavours that reflect the life of the island. Fresh, wonderful ingredients and seasonal cooking highlight this cuisine. This dish is no exception.

The magic in this dish is the slow braise that allows the flavours to come together and infuse the soft meat. The flavours are gentle yet delicious and you will definitely tale a second helping. I served it with Mustardy mashed potatoes and Roasted eggplant with cumin, honey and sumac. the plate was a flash of diverse flavours.

This is an outstanding cookbook from the master of Sicilian cooking. Every recipe I have cooked has been exceptional, like this pesto sauce, and most recipes are simple. The subtle differences in Sicilian cooking, from Italian cooking, are highlighted, as well as, the chef's love of the land and its produce. This is a wonderful cookbook to have on your shelf.

For more recipes from the fabulous cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

12-15 lamb chops, Frenched

20 black olives, halved

2 tablespoons capers

4 tomatoes, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

2 onions, finely sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 bottle of red wine

1 tablespoon rosemary

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon pepper

Add all the ingredients to a pot and mix well. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.

Heat the oven to 400° F.

Toss the meat mix well. Place in the oven and bake with a tight-fitting lid undisturbed for 1 hour. Toss well and check the meat to see how tender it is. Bake for an additional 30-60 minutes depending on how the meat is doing. Test the meat again for tenderness. It should be falling off the bone.

Serve heated through well.