Noisettes of Lamb with Eight Spices

• 1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup lamb or beef stock
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons black miso paste (soybean paste)
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme, rosemary and bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric and cumin
• 1 whole star anise
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb loin cut in 12 noisettes
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon soft unsalted butter

1. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan and cook the ginger and garlic over low heat, covered, until they are tender but not brown.
2. Stir in the wine and stock and cook over medium heat about five minutes until the liquid is reduced by about half.
3. Strain the mixture and return it to the saucepan.
4. Simmer, whisk in the miso, adjusting the amount according to taste, and season with pepper.
5. Set aside.
6. Combine the dried herbs, the ground spices and the star anise in a spice grinder and grind fine.
7. Use this mixture to coat the lamb on both sides.
8. Heat the peanut oil in a heavy skillet and saute the lamb pieces over medium heat on each side until cooked to the desired degree of doneness.
9. Put three lamb noisettes on each of four plates.
10. Reheat the sauce and whisk in the remaining butter.
11. Spoon the sauce around the lamb and serve.

sesame oil, fresh ginger, garlic, white wine, lamb, black miso, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, ground cinnamon, star anise, lamb loin, peanut oil, butter

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/4610 (may not work)