Lamb Chops Saltimbocca with Parsnips and Roasted Jus

PHOTO: AMERICAN LAMB BOARD

2 racks American Lamb (8 chops each), frenched, trimmings saved, cut into double chops

8 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 shallots, thinly sliced

¼ cup dry white wine

to taste, kosher salt

8 long, thin parsnips with tops (or 8 parsnips plus 1 bunch parsley)

1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper

8 slices Prosciutto di Parma, about 6 oz.

3 fresh bay leaves

1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz.)

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add the lamb trimmings and garlic. Roast at 425°F until garlic is golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer pieces of meat to a plate. Set aside. Add shallots to rendered fat and garlic; roast until shallots are golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove pot from oven; transfer garlic to the plate with lamb trimmings. Place pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add wine, using a wooden spoon to stir and scrape up browned bits from pan bottom; simmer until wine is reduced by two-thirds, about 2 minutes. Return roasted meat to the pot, saving garlic for later; pour water over meat just to cover. Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 45 minutes. Turn off heat; strain jus through a fine-mesh sieve into medium bowl and set aside.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl half-full with ice; cover with water and set aside. Remove parsley tops from parsnips; remove leaves from stems, discard stems and set leaves aside. Peel parsnips; blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer to the ice water bath to stop the cooking. Transfer parsnips to a towel-lined sheet pan; set aside.

Place chops on a sheet pan; season both sides with black pepper. Place a few parsley leaves on top of each chop; wrap a piece of prosciutto around each chop so the seam is on the underside and the meat of the chop is completely enclosed. (Do not cover the bone.) Finely chop 2 Tbsp. of remaining parsley; set aside.

Lightly coat a large skillet with nonstick pan spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add chops (if using a smaller pan, cook chops in 2 batches), parsley-side down; cook until browned, 6-8 minutes. Turn chops over; add butter, bay leaves and reserved roasted garlic (if cooking in batches, add half of the butter, bay leaves, and garlic with first batch, and remaining with second batch). Cook until chops are browned, 6-8 minutes; turn over again and cook to medium-rare, about 8 more minutes. Remove chops from pan, place on large platter, cover and set aside.

Place blanched parsnips in pan; brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Pour in reserved lamb jus; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium; simmer for 1 minute. Add chopped parsley. Serve parsnips and jus alongside the chops.