Trim leeks of hard green parts, split in half, wash, and roughly chop. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add leeks, and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a blender. Add butter; season with salt and pepper. Puree; transfer to a warm place. Place dried mushrooms in a spice mill or coffee grinder; grind to the consistency of coffee. Transfer to a plate. Place egg in a bowl; add some salt and pepper, and beat lightly. Place flour on a plate. Dip lamb very lightly in flour; shake off excess. Dip into egg, then into mushrooms. Pat mushrooms to adhere so they coat the lamb heavily. Refrigerate up to 2 hours. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 10-inch skillet; add the shiitake mushrooms, garlic, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in an ovenproof skillet set over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the lamb; cook 2 minutes on one side, then turn. Place the skillet in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes for rare meat, a little longer for more well-done. Let the lamb rest 1 minute, then cut it into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place a dollop of leek puree on each plate, top with a portion of mushrooms, then place the lamb on top. Sprinkle with a little coarse salt, and serve. Makes 4 servings.

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart Living - <www.marthastewart.com> Recipe adapted from "Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef" by Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman (Broadway Books, $34)

Formatted for Mastercook by Lynn Thomas - dcqp82a@prodigy.com