Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Braised Red Cabbage
- 500 g red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
- 50 ml red wine vinegar
- 100 ml water
- 40 g brown sugar, packed
- 5 g kosher salt
Blueberry Compote
- 200 g wild blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 g fresh thyme, leaves only
Breaded Lamb Chops
- 800 g lamb rib chops, frenched, about 8 chops
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 150 g plain breadcrumbs
- 8 g kosher salt
- 4 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 30 g unsalted butter
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1006 kcal
- Protein
- 51 g
- Carbohydrates
- 80 g
- Fat
- 53 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 28 g
- Sodium
- 1654 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 109 mg
- Potassium
- 637 mg
- Calcium
- 168 mg
- Iron
- 7.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 63 mg
- Phosphorus
- 296 mg
- Zinc
- 4.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 166 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 83 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 61 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.52 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.58 mg
- Niacin
- 3.7 mg
- Folate
- 99 mcg
- Water
- 222 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the thinly sliced red cabbage, red wine vinegar, water, brown sugar, and kosher salt into a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
Bring the cabbage mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Once bubbling, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook gently for 45 minutes until the cabbage is deeply tender and the liquid has reduced to a glaze. Stir occasionally.
While the cabbage cooks, combine the blueberries, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and fresh thyme in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Cook the blueberry mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the mixture thickens into a loose jam consistency. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Set up a breading station using three shallow bowls. Place the flour in the first bowl and mix with half of the salt and pepper. Place the beaten eggs in the second bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in the third bowl mixed with the remaining salt and pepper.
Pat the lamb chops completely dry with paper towels to prevent raw meat juices from causing the breading to fall off. Dredge each chop first in the seasoned flour, tapping off the excess. Next, dip thoroughly into the beaten egg, and finally press firmly into the breadcrumbs to create a solid, even coating.
Heat the vegetable oil and unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Wait until the butter stops foaming and begins to turn a very light brown, indicating the fat is around 175°C/350°F.
Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, add the breaded lamb chops. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until the crust is a deep golden brown and the internal temperature of the meat reaches 60°C/140°F for medium-rare, or 63°C/145°F for medium.
Transfer the fried lamb chops to a wire cooling rack to rest for 5 minutes. This allows the internal juices to redistribute without making the bottom of the chops soggy.
Plate the rested lamb chops alongside a generous scoop of the warm braised red cabbage. Spoon the sweet and tart blueberry compote either directly over the chops or in a small pool next to them.
Chef's Notes
- Using a wire rack instead of a paper towel to rest the fried lamb chops is critical; paper towels trap steam against the underside of the meat, destroying the crispy crust you just built.
- For an extra layer of authentic Nordic flavor, substitute 25 percent of the plain breadcrumbs with finely crushed rye crispbreads (knackebrod).
- Wild bilberries are the traditional foraging choice in Iceland. If you can find frozen wild blueberries, choose those over standard highbush blueberries, as they have a higher skin-to-flesh ratio and pack a much more intense, earthy flavor.
- Do not skip the resting phase for the meat. The ambient carryover cooking brings the lamb to its final temperature while the rest ensures the juices do not bleed out and ruin the crust upon the first bite.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store components separately. Breading will lose crispness in the refrigerator.
Freezer: 1 month — Raw breaded chops can be frozen. Compote freezes exceptionally well. Do not freeze the cooked chops.
Reheating: Reheat lamb chops in a 200C oven for 10 minutes to restore crispness. Warm cabbage and compote gently on the stovetop.
Troubleshooting
Breading falls off the lamb chops during frying or flipping.
Cause: The surface of the lamb was too wet before breading, or the oil was not hot enough when the meat was added.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once the crust detaches, but you can press any loose, fried crumbs back onto the meat during plating.
Prevention: Thoroughly pat the meat dry before applying the flour, and ensure the frying fat is hot enough to immediately sizzle a breadcrumb.
Breading burns before the lamb is fully cooked.
Cause: The stove temperature was too high or the chops were cut too thick.
Fix: Transfer the chops immediately to a baking sheet and finish cooking them in a 175 degrees Celsius oven.
Prevention: Maintain a steady medium heat instead of a high heat. If chops are very thick, flatten them slightly with a meat mallet before breading.
Cabbage is tough and chewy.
Cause: Insufficient cooking time or not enough liquid in the pot.
Fix: Add another splash of water or vinegar, cover, and continue simmering until tender.
Prevention: Ensure the lid is tight fitting to trap steam, and do not rush the braising process.
Cultural Context
Icelandic cuisine is heavily defined by its world-class, free-roaming sheep that graze on wild grasses, moss, and herbs in the highlands. Because the climate is harsh and growing seasons are short, preserving techniques like braising and jamming are foundational. Pairing rich, breaded meats with sharp, sweet-and-sour red cabbage and the tart acidity of wild berries is a quintessential Nordic technique designed to cut through fat and provide a balanced, warming meal during dark winters.
