Stuffed Lamb Rib Chops with Smoked Blue Cheese and Apricot and Hazelnut Chutney

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 Lamb Rib Chops
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 4 ripe apricots, halved and pitted
• 1 red onion, sliced in ½ inch rounds
• ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, shelled and chopped
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoons molasses sugar
• 6 oz Smokey Blue from the Rogue Valley Creamery, room temperature

1. Preheat Grill.

2. In a small bowl combine olive oil with sea salt, thyme and pepper.  Rub oil mixture on all sides of apricots and onion.  Reserve some of the oil for the lamb chops.  Place on grill and cook until onion and apricots have become soft.  Note: Apricots will cook much faster than onion.  When done remove from grill and allow to cool.  Chop apricots and onion into ¼ inch sized chunks.  In a bowl combine hazelnuts, apricots, onion, vinegar and sugar.  Set aside.

3. Rinse chops and pat dry. To make a pocket, insert a sharp knife, with a blade about 1/2 inch wide, horizontally into center of each chop from fat side to the bone; don't pierce other side. Without enlarging the entry slit, slide knife in an arc through meat to within 1/2 to 1/4 inch of edge-but don't cut through. Remove knife, reverse direction of blade, and reinsert it through entry hole; slide knife in opposite direction to make pocket wider. Push your index finger through the entry hole and widen pocket if it's too narrow.

 4. Firmly push 1 tablespoon cheese into each chop; scrape off any cheese that sticks to exterior.

5.  Rub lamb chops with remaining olive oil mixture and place onto grill.  Cook on both sides until meat is fully cooked, about 10-15 minutes depending on temperature of grill.   Some of the cheese may melt out of slit in side of chop.

6.  When chops are cooked remove from grill and served topped with the apricot chutney mix.