This recipe takes its inspiration from two places. The first is my favorite Indian restaurant, Earthen Oven, which makes one of the best lamb dishes I have ever eaten, the Lamb Masaledar. Marinated in yogurt and spices and roasted, these lamb chops are divine. I wanted to keep the yogurt marinade, but tone down the spices and up the citrus to keep it light for springtime. To finish the dish, a crust of toasted ground hazelnuts adds some crunch and texture. This is a move that I have adapted from a Daniel Boulud braising recipe, wherein he finishes a braised lamb shank with a hazlenut/butter/herb crust. I went for just hazelnuts, since the dish already has the richness of the yogurt and the spices underneath. I served these chops last night with a simple hash of shaved brussel sprouts, onions, garlic, pancetta, lemon juice and fresh mint.

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