Lamb Cutlets Fried in Butter

Simple, delicious fried lamb cutlets with a lemon-butter sauce and shown here with swirls of Duchess Potatoes

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City/Region: France

Time Period: 1903

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The food and dining cars of the Orient Express were a big part of the luxurious experience that drew in passengers. The chefs, who were brought in from top French institutions, prepared meals on moving train cars, sometimes themed to which countries the train was passing through.

These lamb cutlets are simple, tender, and delicious. The lemon-butter sauce has only two ingredients, and pairs perfectly with Duchess Potatoes for a wonderful meal (or more accurately, single course) aboard the Orient Express.

“Côtelettes d’Agneau à la Minute
Cut the cutlets very thin, season them and shallow fry in very hot clarified butter. Arrange them in a circle on a dish, sprinkle with a little lemon juice and the cooking butter after adding a pinch of chopped parsley, Serve immediately. ”

— Le Guide Culinaire by Auguste Escoffier, 1903

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Ingredients:

• 6 lamb cutlets, the smallest you can find, cut as thinly as possible
• Salt and pepper
• Clarified butter, enough to have about 1/4 inch (1 cm) of melted fat in your cooking pan
• Juice from half a lemon
• A small handful of minced parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Season the lamb cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the clarified butter in a wide pan to about 350°F (175°C). When the butter is hot, carefully set the lamb in about 3 or 4 pieces at a time. You don’t want to crowd the pan, so you’ll probably have to work in batches. Fry the cutlets for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, then flip them over and fry on the other side until the lamb is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
3. Take the lamb out of the pan and set it aside to rest while you cook the rest of the cutlets.
4. Once all the cutlets are cooked, mix the lemon juice with about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the butter the lamb was cooked in. Feel free to adjust the lemon juice and butter amounts to taste. Plate the lamb cutlets with Duchess Potatoes, drizzle with the lemon-butter mixture, sprinkle with parsley, and serve it forth for a meal on the Orient Express.

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