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Maple and balsamic glazed lamb chops

Food • Lorraine’s Fast Fresh and Easy Food • Newsletter • Recipes

Not a reinvention of the wheel with these flavour combos but a simple seductive supper none-the-less. I have to do away with knives and forks for these little lamb chops and with messy fingers gnaw off the meat, right down to the bone.

Time from start to finish: 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • Cous cous:
    • 300g (11 oz) couscous
    • 200g (7 oz) good feta cheese
    • drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • Lamb:
    • Vegetable oil
    • Large handful of fresh thyme sprigs
    • 8 lamb chops or 8 lamb cutlets
    • 1 bunch of spring onions
    • 50g (2 oz) flaked almonds
  • Glaze:
    • 25g (1 oz) butter
    • 2 tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

To serve:

  • small handful of fresh mint
  • A handful of pomegranate seeds (optional)
  • Salt and pepper

Equipment:

  • Kettle
  • large frying pan
  • 2 large plates
  • medium bowl
  • small saucepan.

Method:

  1. Put the kettle on to boil for the cous cous.
  2. Meanwhile, put a large frying pan on a medium heat with a good glug of oil. Run your fingers down the thyme sprigs to release their leaves and sprinkle them all over a large plate. Add a little salt and pepper and then squish the lamb chops or cutlets into the mix, turning them over to coat the other side also. This will give a lovely crust when cooked. Fry them in the pan for about 3-4 minutes on the first side or until they are golden brown.
  3. Tip the cous cous into a medium bowl, pour the boiled water over to come just a little over the top, cover with cling film and leave aside for about 5 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, trim and slice the spring onions (the green and white bit) and set aside.
  5. For the glaze, put the butter, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan over a high heat. Bring to the boil and then reduce to simmer, leaving it to bubble away for about 3 minutes, stirring from time to time.
  6. Flip the lamb over and leave to cook for a further 3-4minutes depending how you like them cooked.
  7. Check the cous cous grains have absorbed all the water and are tender and then fluff it up with a fork. Crumble the feta cheese in, season with salt and pepper and add a good drizzle of oil. Stir together and re-cover to keep warm.
  8. The glaze should be thickened and syrupy (a little thinner than golden syrup) so remove from the heat and keep warm.
  9. Cut into the centre of one of the lamb chops or cutlets to check that they are cooked to your liking. When ready, remove them onto plate to rest for a few minutes, covered with tin foil (this will make it much more tender and juicy).
  10. Add the spring onions and flaked almonds to the frying pan and cook on a medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring them a bit every now and then. Remove from the heat when the spring onions are wilted and the almonds golden.
  11. Divide the cous cous between four serving plates. Sit the rested lamb chops on top and drizzle the glaze (and any resting juices) over. Scatter over the onion and almond mix and rip up the mint leaves. If using, top with the pomegranate seeds and serve.