From Mary and Vincent Price’s cookbook: A Treasury of Great Recipes
Originated from Tour D’Argent, one of the oldest and most famous restaurants in Paris.
Serves 4
I have to warn you though! When I made this fantastic dish, I had all sorts of technical difficulties. I believe Vincent invaded my kitchen and messed with me a little. Thankfully he left the food alone so if you make this, just keep all electronics out of the kitchen and you will be good. It was worth it though, everything was so delicious.
Onion Sauce
Mince 4 large onions (2 cups). Cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Drain.
In a sauce pan melt 4 tbsp of butter. Add onions. Cook slowly for 10 minutes without letting them brown.
Stir in 3/4 cup béchamel sauce (see recipe below), 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Blend in an electric blender on high speed for 15 seconds and strain through fine sieve or puree in a food mill.
Combine to a paste 2 tbsp flour, 2 tbsp soft butter and 2 egg yolks. Beat a little of the hot sauce into this mixture, then add mixture to sauce and cook, stirring rapidly, until thick and almost boiling.
Set aside. Heat in simmering water 8 cooked artichoke bottoms, fresh or canned.
The Lamb/Noisettes
Preheat broiler. Remove bone and fat from 8 small rib lamb chops.
In a skillet heat 1 tbsp butter. Sauté chops over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove from skillet and keep hot.
Madeira Sauce
Pour off fat remaining in skillet and add 1/2 cup Madeira wine and 1/4 cup chicken stock. Cook over high heat for 4 minutes, until liquid is reduced by half. Swirl in 2 tbsp butter and season with a little salt and pepper.
Presentation
Arrange artichoke bottoms on a heat proof platter and fill with onion sauce, reserving about 1/2 cup.
Place lamb noisette on top of each artichoke bottom and top with 1 tbsp of onion sauce.
Put dish under broiler for a few minutes, until sauce is hot and tinged with brown.
Serve with Madeira sauce on the side.
Béchamel Sauce – Basic Thick White Sauce
Makes 1 pint
Put into an electric blender: 1/4 softened butter, 1 tsp salt, 6 tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp white pepper and 2 cups hot milk.
Cover and blend on low speed. When blender has reached full momentum, switch to high and blend for 30 seconds.
Pour sauce into double boiler and cook over simmering water for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Of all the videos you’ve made, this one is my favourite! But something about the recipe confuses me. It refers to “noisettes des tournelles” which my half-remembered French translates as “sunflower seeds.” And yet there are none in the recipe. You refer to the lamb as noisettes, so perhaps it’s a technical term for a certain cut of meat? See — Vincent is playing around with my head too!
Thanks Debra! I guess it was worth fighting over the tech issues with and doing re-enactments for, LOL.
Apparently noisettes are also an indie band! I have no idea, my French is not that great but that is how it appeared in the menu and in the cookbook. Oh that Vincent! He has got us thinking!!!
I have the dumb this morning, so disregard my first comment. It doesn’t mean “sunflower seeds” at all — d’oh! But “noisettes” does mean hazelnuts. Can’t find out what “tournelles” means.
LOL, I wondered about that Debra and yes, I came across hazelnuts in my search too. Pont de la Tournelle is an arch bridge spanning the river Seine in Paris. Perhaps a regionalism? The name of the area the recipe comes from?