Lamb Chops With Hazelnut-Lavender Crust

Adapted from purplehazelavender.com. I found this recipe way back in June and would you believe I only recently got around to testing it? :/

• Ready In: 33 mins
• Yields: 4 lamb chops

Ingredients

• 4  lamb chops (the best you can afford-free range preferably)
• 1⁄3 cup hazelnuts (original recipe specified pistachios) or 1⁄3 cup pistachios, toasted (original recipe specified pistachios)
•  salt, to taste
•  cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1⁄4 cup honey (I used a local clover honey)
• 1  tablespoon  dried culinary  lavender (from our garden!)
•  grapeseed oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a food processor pulse the hazelnuts and lavender until the nuts are the texture of medium-coarse cornmeal (similar to the texture of semolina), but not finely ground.
3. Place the mixture on a piece of wax paper or in a shallow pan.
4. Season lamb chops with salt and pepper.
5. Heat a heavy gauge or cast iron pan to medium high. Add enough grapeseed oil to coat pan well.
6. Add chops and sear well, about 3-5 per side, turning once. Set aside.
7. In a small saucepan heat honey just to warm. Dredge each chop in honey then in the lavender/hazelnut mixture.
8. Place on baking sheet and finish cooking in oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
9. Let chops rest 5 minutes before serving.