Lamb Chops Provençal with Olive Tapenade and Ratatouille

Provence has a temperate Mediterranean climate, plenty of sunshine, and well-suited soil for crops such as grapes and olives. Below is a recipe from Moulin de Calanquet for lamb chops Provençal with olive tapenade and ratatouille, which combines local ingredients and traditional flavours into a delicious main course.

The Moulin du Calanquet is an olive mill four kilometres from Saint Remy de Provence in the Alpilles. It is a family story with Anne and Gilles Brun, sister and brother, at the helm. The Calanquet oil mill was inaugurated on February 8, 2001, and named after the lovely site on which it was built. Calanquet originates from the word “calan,” meaning a rock that provides shelter from the Mistral wind.

Olives have grown on the flanks of the Alpilles since the Greeks and Romans occupied Glanum. At the historic site, you can see an ancient olive-grinding stone. Although olive trees are hearty, they suffered from frosts in 1889 and 1956. The 1956 weather event forced the closure of the last operational olive mill in Saint Remy.

Guide for the Alpilles Olive Producers

More on Olives and the Alpilles

The Jean Martin Company in the Heart of the Olives of Les Baux de Provence

Capturing Provencal Beauty in Photos Lumières des Alpilles

The Olive Groves of Provence

Discover the Olive Oil Producers of the Alpilles a Driving Tour by Village

Visitor’s Guide to the Alpilles Villages

Alpilles Lamb Chops with Tapenade Petals and Provençal Ratatouille

Moulin de Calanquet

The best part is that it's a quick, easy, and tasty recipe. Organic Camargue rice makes a good side dish for this recipe.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 minutes mins

Total Time 11 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine French, Provencal

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• indoor grill or barbeque
• saucepan with lid (2-quart)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6 lamb chops preferably from the Alpilles
• 1 jar ratatouille Provençale
• 1 packet black tapenade "petals" see note below
• 1 pinch thyme
• 1 pinch piment d’Espelette optional
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary for garnish

Instructions

 

• Grill the chops on the barbecue or on your grill; they should remain 'pink.'
• Meanwhile, heat the ready-to-use ratatouille in a saucepan, adding a pinch of Espelette pepper if you wish.
• Arrange the meat on a plate, crumbling a few petals of black tapenade over the lamb.
• Serve the ratatouille as a side dish and garnish with a few petals of black tapenade.

Notes

The recipe uses the following Moulin de Calanquet products: ratatouille Provençale, black tapenade petals, piment d'Espelette (chili pepper), and organic Camargue rice.

Keyword Lamb, Ratatouille, Tapenade

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Carolyne Kauser-Abbott

With her camera and laptop close at hand, Carolyne has traded in her business suits for the world of freelance writing and blogging. Her first airplane ride at six months of age was her introduction to the exciting world of travel.

While in Provence, Carolyne can be found hiking with friends, riding the hills around the Alpilles or tackling Mont Ventoux. Her attachment to the region resonates in Perfectly Provence this digital magazine that she launched in 2014. This website is an opportunity to explore the best of the Mediterranean lifestyle (food & wine, places to stay, expat stories, books on the region, travel tips, real estate tips and more), through our contributors' articles.

Carolyne writes a food and travel blog Ginger and Nutmeg. Carolyne’s freelance articles can be found in Global Living Magazine, Avenue Magazine and City Palate (Published Travel Articles).