True, Fava beans are a pain. First, you have to shell the beans, then peel off their tissue-thin skins. To be honest, though, I actually enjoy prepping these beans—especially if it means getting to eat them. Simply cooked, they’re the perfect accompaniment to juicy lamb chops.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　8 double-rib lamb chops (about 2 pounds total), frenched

　　Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　2 pounds fava bean pods, shelled (3 cups beans)

　　Smoked Chile Glaze (page 247)

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　

Step 1

Heat your grill to medium. Use a lightly oiled kitchen towel to carefully grease the grill grate. Let the lamb chops stand at room temperature for 5 minutes while the grill heats.

　　

Step 2

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat and salt it. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add the fava beans to the boiling water and cook just until the water returns to a full boil, about 2 minutes. Drain the favas and immediately transfer to the ice water. When cool, drain again, then peel the thin skins off the beans.

　　

Step 3

Pour 1/4 cup of the chile glaze into a small dish. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper, then brush both sides of each chop with a thin layer of the 1/4 cup glaze. Grill, covered, for 15 minutes for medium-rare, turning and brushing with a thin layer of glaze every 5 minutes. Transfer to serving plates and let rest while preparing the favas.

　　

Step 4

Combine the peeled fava beans, the oil, and 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until warm, about 2 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Divide the favas among the serving plates and serve with the remaining glaze on the side.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.