Moroccan-Spiced Lamb Chops
| Recipe By: | Jane-Anne Hobbs |
| Cooking Time: | 10 minutes |
| Prep Time: | 30 minutes, excluding marinating time |
Ingredients
- 12 small lamb chops
- 4 Tbsp lemon juice
- 4 Tbsp pomegranate concentrate
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 Tbsp cinnamon, for sprinkling
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or more, to taste
- 1 Tbsp dried mint
- black pepper to taste
- 60 g couscous
- 2 cups (500ml) very hot water
- 1 x 400 g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- salt
- 100 g slivered almonds,toasted
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (80ml) fresh mint
- the seeds of a pomegranate (optional)
- finely grated zest of a large orange
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 6 Tbsp fresh lemon leaves
- 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried coriander
- 1/4 Tbsp cinnamon, for sprinkling
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, to drizzle
- salt and pepper
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Cooking Instructions
Place the lamb chops in a non-metallic dish. Whisk together the lemon juice, pomegranate reduction, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and mint. Pour the marinade over the chops and toss, using your hands, so that each chop is coated. Season with black pepper, cover and set aside for two or three hours. In the meantime, start the couscous salad.
Put the couscous in a deep bowl and pour in the hot (not boiling; see Cook's Notes) water. Immediately cover the bowl with cling film and set aside to steam, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Uncover the couscous and, using a fork, gently scratch at the surface, lightly fluffing the grains so they separate. Add the chickpeas and dressing to the still-warm couscous and toss to coat. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Cover and set aside at room temperature while the chops are marinating.
Heat your oven's grill. Season the chops with salt and place in a roasting pan. Grill the chops, not too close to the heat, for about 4-5 minutes on either side (or until done to your liking), basting with the pan juices and leftover marinade now and then. Watch them closely, as the sugar in the pomegranate syrup may cause them to scorch.
Stir the toasted almonds, parsley, mint and pomegranate seeds into the couscous and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve the chops piping hot with the couscous on the side.
Cook's notes:
Try this couscous salad with other ingredients from the Mediterranean region: crumbled feta, green olives, chopped preserved lemon, pistachios, and so on.
Leave the dried mint out of the marinade if you can't find it. It's easy to make your own dried mint, place a bunch of leaves in a very low oven, with the fan on, and leave them until they're completely dry. Crumble and store in a sealed jar.
Most "instant" couscous recipes specify boiling water, but I've found that hot water produces the best result. If you're not confident about preparing couscous, follow the instructions on the packet.