December 31st not only marks the end of the year but also the birthday of actor Anthony Hopkins.  Let’s celebrate both events with a  delicious recipe from Zach Neil’s The Nightmare Before Dinner called…well you already know… Silence of the Lamb Chops!   This was the very first recipe I wanted to cook from this book because, for me, Silence of The Lambs is a perfect film. 

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The actors are stunning, the direction is flawless, the script is tight, the cinematography is en pointe.  For my mind, Silence of the Lambs has no weak link.  Plus…and this one I could be wrong on this one but in my mind, Hannibal Lector defined a new type of movie villain.  Intelligent, eloquent, charming…he is a bit Hans Gruberesque….but at the end of the day, however, suave Gruber was, we were all happy when he fell to his death.  No one wants Hannibal to die.  We’re glad he escapes. And let’s be clear.  He is a monster.  And therein lies the magic of the Silence of the Lambs. 

I had thought I’d taken a million photos of the Silence of the Lamb Chops.

 

I totally did.  It was so good.  The chops are marinated in olive oil, garlic, rosemary and apple cider then grilled.  They are served with a mushroom and apple sauce which was great.  An unusual combination but it worked really well with the lamb.  This is then drizzled with a glaze made from raspberry preserves and soy sauce which is again an odd combination but works well.  The Silence Of The Lamb Chops is like a flavour explosion.  There is the herby, fattiness of the lamb set against the earthiness of the mushrooms and the apple.  The sweet and salty raspberry soy sauce acts as a highlight, a little oomph!

I served mine on a bed of mashed potatoes which added a creamy element. If you wanted to though, you could serve it…. 

Here’s the recipe:

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And here’s my only other photo:

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So, it’s the end of the year.  Time for me say a massive

to you all for reading and commenting and being a part of my tiny corner of the internet. It’s been another amazing year.  I think my highlight was Pieathalon in London and getting to share pies with fellow pieathletes Jenny from Silver Screen Suppers and Battenberg Belle.

Stay tuned for 2019, I think it’s going to be just as much fun!

Have a great week  And a fabulous New Year.  

May all your dreams and wishes come true. Love you lots!