Gorgeous Grilled Moroccan Lamb Chops. If food is the way to a man’s heart, these lamb chops will have your man seeing hearts.
These super-sexy lamb chops are hands-on and are great for sharing – just don’t forget the napkins (or do!). The flavours are incredible, and if these don’t impress, I don’t know what will. I’ve even made this recipe serve double so you can pop them in the fridge and enjoy them the next night too. Jamie Oliver
Serves 4
8 quality lamb cutlets
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon mild smoked paprika
zest and juice of ½ lemon
olive oil
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
200g blanched almonds
200g houmous
2 tablespoon harissa paste
extra virgin olive oil
For the coleslaw
2 carrots, peeled
½ a celeriac, peeled
¼ a small red cabbage, core removed
½ an onion, peeled
6 tablespoons natural yoghurt
zest and juice of 1 lime
½ a bunch of fresh coriander, leaves picked and stalks finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350ºF/gas 4. Sprinkle the lamb chops with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, mint, paprika and lemon zest. Squeeze over the lemon juice, drizzle with olive oil and massage the flavours into the meat, then leave to marinate for an hour or so.
Crush the fennel and cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar, then tip onto a baking tray along with the almonds. Drizzle with olive oil, season lightly and toss together until all the nuts are coated in the spice mixture. Toast in the hot oven until lightly golden, then leave aside to cool.
To make the coleslaw, shred the carrots and celeriac on a mandolin. Slice the cabbage and onion as finely as you can with a sharp knife, then place the veg in a bowl with the yoghurt, lime zest and juice and the coriander stalks. Mix well and season to taste.
Scoop the houmous into a nice bowl, then add a spoon of harissa and a lug of extra virgin olive oil on top and swirl them half in with a spoon to get a rippled effect. Put aside. Put the cooled spiced nuts in a sandwich bag and smash them up with the bottom of a pan or a rolling pin.
Preheat a griddle pan on a high heat and cook the lamb for 2 minutes on each side for medium, or until cooked to your liking.
Serve the chops in a pile on one end of a chopping board and arrange the bowl of houmous, coleslaw and spicy nuts around them, then garnish with the coriander leaves. Dip a chop in the houmous, then in the nuts and eat with the coleslaw.