Double Mint Sauces

These sauces are great served together with lamb chops. I prefer shoulder to rib chops; they're much less expensive and in my opinion more flavorful. (Actually, what I really wish is that I could find a good source for mutton!)

Peach Mint Sauce

1 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp butter
2 peaches, diced fine
1 slice of onion (not 1 sliced onion, just 1 slice of an onion), diced fine

1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 splash lemon juice
pinch kosher salt
1 handful fresh mint leaves, chopped fine
1/4 cup mirin
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp flour

Simmer the peaches and onion in 1 Tbsp of butter in a small saucepan over low heat, 10 mins or until the peaches start to dissolve. Add brown sugar, rice vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and mint leaves; simmer another 10 minutes.

In another saucepan make a light brown roux with the flour and 2 Tbsp butter. Add mirin and water, stir until thickened; combine with peaches mixture. Add more water if desired to adjust thickness. Simmer over very low heat until the mint flavor permeates.

Spicy Yogurt Mint Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp honey
1 handful fresh mint leaves, chopped fine
pinch kosher salt
1 tsp chili powder
your favorite hot sauce to taste

Combine yogurt, honey, mint, salt, and chili powder in a bowl; let sit half an hour at room temperature for the flavors to blend. Add hot sauce to taste. Refrigerate until use.

Mock Tandoori Chicken

1 whole roasting chicken

8 oz. tofu-based sour cream substitute OR if kashrut/lactose is not important, 8 oz. plain yogurt

2 Tbsp honey

2 tsp chunky rooster sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg or ground allspice

1/2 tsp onion powder

generous pinch salt

juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (optional)

Tandoori is Indian-style chicken, roasted in an earthenware oven and marinated with yogurt and spices. This is a substitute for those of us with kosher or dairy-intolerance problems and/or without an earthenware oven that can get up to 650F.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Mix together sour cream substitute or yogurt, honey, chunky rooster sauce, garlic powder, ginger, cumin, nutmeg or allspice, onion powder, salt, mint (if desired and not outrageously expensive) and juice from 1/2 lemon. Set aside.

Put the chicken in a glass roasting pan or cast-iron skillet. When oven is up to temp put it in and set timer to 45 minutes. As the timer gets close to zero, check the sauce and adjust saltiness and tartness as desired.

Baste the chicken liberally with the sauce, put back in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. Repeat twice more (so the chicken is basted at 45, 55, and 65 minutes). Remove after 75 minutes (1-1/4 hour) and baste once more. Allow the bird to rest for at least 10 minutes before carving. Serve with the remaining sauce as a condiment.