Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Provençal Tomato Sauce
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 2 garlic, finely minced cloves
- 400 g canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand with juice
- 3 fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 1 dried bay leaf, whole
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Lamb Medallions
- 600 g boneless lamb loin, trimmed of silverskin and excess exterior fat
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Breading and Pan-Frying
- 45 g all-purpose flour
- 2 large egg, room temperature
- 15 ml whole milk
- 75 g panko breadcrumbs, finely crushed
- 25 g gruyère cheese, finely grated
- 8 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 g fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped stripped leaves
- 30 ml clarified butter
- 30 ml olive oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
Only basic nutrition values are available for this recipe. More detailed nutrient data is incomplete.
- Calories
- 454 kcal
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place 15 ml olive oil in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat at approximately 150°C (300°F).
Add minced shallot and garlic to the saucepan and sauté for 2 minutes using a wooden spoon until soft and translucent without taking on color.
Pour crushed canned tomatoes into the saucepan, then add whole thyme sprigs, bay leaf, 3 g fine sea salt, and 1 g black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until reduced and thickened.
On a clean cutting board, use a sharp chef's knife to slice the trimmed boneless lamb loin across the grain into 8 uniform medallions weighing roughly 75 g each.
Place lamb medallions between two sheets of parchment paper and gently pound with the flat side of a meat mallet until they reach an even thickness of 1.5 cm (0.6 in).
Pat all lamb medallions thoroughly dry on both sides with clean paper towels and discard towels immediately to prevent cross-contamination.
Season both sides of the lamb medallions evenly with 4 g fine sea salt and 1 g freshly ground black pepper.
Set up three shallow bowls in an assembly line: place all-purpose flour in the first bowl, whisk together the large eggs and 15 ml whole milk in the second bowl using a whisk, and combine crushed panko, finely grated Gruyère, chopped parsley, and chopped thyme in the third bowl using a fork.
Dredge each seasoned lamb medallion into the flour, coating all sides, and gently tap against your hand to shake off excess flour.
Dip each floured medallion into the whisked egg wash, allowing excess egg to drain back into the bowl for two seconds.
Lay each medallion into the herb and breadcrumb mixture, pressing firmly on both sides and edges so breadcrumbs adhere completely in an even crust.
Add 30 ml clarified butter and 30 ml olive oil to a large heavy-bottomed skillet and heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 175°C (350°F) and shimmers.
Carefully place four breaded medallions into the skillet using tongs and pan-fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the crust is deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 63°C (145°F) on an instant-read digital thermometer inserted horizontally into the thickest center.
Transfer the fried lamb medallions to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and let rest for at least 3 minutes to allow juices to settle and maintain food safety standards, repeating the frying step for the remaining four medallions.
Remove and discard the whole thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the warm tomato sauce using a fork.
Ladle approximately 80 ml of warm Provençal tomato sauce onto the center of each of four warm plates, arrange two rested lamb medallions slightly overlapping on top of the sauce, and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Clarified butter blended with olive oil combines the high smoke point of pure butterfat with Mediterranean flavor, allowing the breadcrumb coating to fry deeply golden without scorching milk solids.
- Pounding lamb medallions to an exact 1.5 cm uniform thickness guarantees synchronized heat penetration, ensuring that the meat reaches safe doneness at the exact moment the crust attains maximum crunch.
- Resting whole cuts of lamb for a full 3 minutes after reaching 63°C (145°F) is a critical food safety and quality step that permits muscle fibers to relax and retain savory juices.
- Crushing panko slightly finer creates a dense, continuous crust that shields the delicate lamb loin meat from high direct pan heat, yielding tender noisettes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Cool cooked lamb and tomato sauce promptly and refrigerate in separate airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking.
Freezer: 1 month — Tomato sauce freezes well up to 3 months. Cooked breaded lamb may lose its crisp texture upon thawing but can be frozen up to 1 month.
Reheating: Reheat tomato sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until gently boiling. Reheat lamb medallions on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet in an oven preheated to 175°C (350°F) until the internal temperature reaches at least 74°C (165°F) for safe leftover reheating and crisp crust recovery.
Troubleshooting
Breading sloughs off the lamb medallions during frying
Cause: The lamb surface was damp prior to flouring, excess flour was not tapped off, or breadcrumbs were not pressed firmly onto the meat
Fix: Cannot be fixed once detached in the pan; handle remaining medallions delicately with tongs and serve detached golden crumbs alongside
Prevention: Thoroughly pat medallions dry with paper towels, tap off excess flour to leave a fine film, and press breadcrumbs firmly into the egg wash
Breading browns too rapidly before the lamb reaches 63°C (145°F)
Cause: Frying fat temperature was too hot (exceeding 185°C/365°F) or cheese in the breading scorched against high direct heat
Fix: Transfer medallions immediately to an oven preheated to 160°C (325°F) on a wire rack to finish cooking gently until the center reaches 63°C (145°F)
Prevention: Regulate burner heat to keep frying oil consistently at 175°C (350°F) and do not use high flame settings
Lamb medallions are tough and dry
Cause: Lamb was cut parallel with the grain or overcooked past safe medium doneness
Fix: Cannot be fixed once internal moisture has expelled; slice very thinly across the grain prior to consumption and serve with extra tomato sauce
Prevention: Cut perpendicular across the grain, pound to uniform thickness, and pull immediately when the thermometer registers 63°C (145°F) followed by 3 minutes rest
Cultural Context
Known in classical French gastronomy as noisettes d'agneau panées, breaded lamb medallions are an enduring bistro specialty celebrated for contrasting crunchy breading with tender, succulent meat. Pairing them with a rustic, garlic and thyme-perfumed tomato sauce pays homage to the sunny culinary traditions of Provence, where robust tomato reductions are traditionally used to balance the earthy richness of pasture-raised lamb.
