Polenta crusted lamb cutlets with crushed peas & gremolata

After a busy day of writing recipes or at work outside in the garden, I crave comfort food. Roast or poached chicken are both at the top of my list of favourites, but a meal of lamb chops with peas and mashed potatoes comes a close second, with the added benefit of taking less time to cook. In this version, I have given lamb cutlets a bit of a dressing up with a coating of ricotta and prosciutto, a polenta crumb and a topping of gremolata.

For the gremolata
1⁄3 cup finely chopped flat-leafed parsley
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon

Combine all the ingredients and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reserve.

For the cutlets
60g ricotta
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
8 lamb cutlets, French trimmed, flattened with a meat mallet or rolling pin
8 thin slices prosciutto
1⁄2 cup flour
1 egg, lightly whisked
2⁄3 cup polenta
olive oil for cooking
creamy mashed potatoes and lemon wedges to serve

Combine the ricotta and basil and season. Spread the mixture over one side of each cutlet then wrap a slice of prosciutto around each.

Put the flour in a flat dish, the egg in a bowl and the polenta in another flat dish. Dust the cutlets in flour then dip in egg. Finally, dust lightly with polenta, shaking away any excess. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Heat about 1cm oil in a frying pan over medium heat then shallow-fry the cutlets, in 2 batches, for 3 minutes each side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper then keep warm. Serve the cutlets on a bed of crushed peas, topped with a spoonful of gremolata, with creamy mash and lemon wedges to one side.

For the peas
3 cups frozen peas
30g butter

Cook the peas in a saucepan of simmering salted water for 7 minutes until tender. Drain then return to the saucepan with the butter. Season then crush with the back of a fork or a potato masher.