These delicious chops are inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s mouth-watering flavours, and are perfect with juicy, creamy roasted aubergines.
The aubergines need slower cooking, so can be cooked the day before on a dying BBQ and kept refrigerated for 2-3 days.
MARINATED SPICED LAMB CUTLETS
Ingredients
12 single lamb cutlet
Marinade
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon hot paprika
1 garlic clove, crushed
Rind, juice and scooped out flesh of an unwaxed lemon
2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
Method
Crush the cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar (or between two sheets of greaseproof paper and a rolling pin.)
Mix in a large bowl with the rest of the marinade ingredients.
Trim any excess fat from the lamb chops and score any that is left with a sharp knife to allow the marinade to penetrate.
Using clean hands, rub the marinade well into the chops and leave them in the bowl covered for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.
Remove the chops an hour before cooking to allow them to come to room temperature.
Light the BBQ and wait until the coals glow white or alternatively pre-heat a griddle pan till piping hot.
Season the chops well with sea salt and black pepper.
Balance the chops on the side on the heat for the first few minutes to start to get the edges of any fat to cook.
Place on the heat and grill for 4 minutes or so on each side, depending on how pink you like them, turning now and then to make sure all the outside is well grilled.
YOGHURT AND GRILLED AUBERGINE SIDES
Pre-heat oven 220C/Gas 6
Ingredients
3-4 medium aubergines
Sea salt
Olive oil
1 whole garlic bulb
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
300g Greek style yoghurt
1 small, preserved lemon, chopped (or the rind, juice and pulp from an unwaxed lemon)
Sea salt
1 teaspoon harissa
Handful of chopped mint leaves
2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts and pomegranate seeds
Method
Rub the aubergines with salt and olive oil and bake them whole with the whole garlic bulb in the oven or on the cooling BBC for 40 minutes to an hour until they are soft and collapsing.
Leave to cool. Put the yoghurt in a serving bowl.
Squeeze the soft paste from the garlic cloves into the yoghurt.
Mix in the chopped preserved lemon and a pinch of sea salt.
Cut the cooled aubergines into thick wedges and lay on a serving dish.
Drizzle with some harissa.
Scatter with the chopped mint leaves, toasted pine nuts and sparkling pomegranate seeds.
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