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Make the most of the last of the summer cooking with harissa lamb chops, recipe

As the summer nights draw in, there’s still time to cook delicacies on the barbecue

Julia Platt Leonard
Friday 26 August 2016 15:27 BST
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A minute or two cooking each side on the barbecue is the perfect amount of time for tasty chops
A minute or two cooking each side on the barbecue is the perfect amount of time for tasty chops

When is summer over? Officially it turns out that it’s not until late September. But mentally? That’s something different. The end of August feels like summer is saying goodbye. Holidays are over and kids are scowling at their school uniforms like they’re some kind of alien clothing form. And did I mention the days are shorter?

But not all is lost. When it comes to food, September is a bonanza. The summer harvest is still in full swing so fresh fruit and veg are in abundance. And even if the sun sets earlier, you can still barbecue with the help of your faithful torch.

French cut lamb chops on the grill are one of life’s true pleasures. Sure, they cost a king’s ransom but they are so tasty. A minute or two on each side is all they take and dinner is sorted.

The first time I had lamb chops like this was in Wales where our kind host piled them up on a huge serving platter and invited us to help ourselves into lamb-y abandon. We didn’t bother with fork and knife – simply grabbed them by the bone and gobbled them down in a bite (or two).

Lamb chops are so tender that they don’t need much if any adornment. You can marinade them in some olive oil with a bit of rosemary or thyme. If you want something a bit more glam, this harissa marinade is the thing. Serve with some green beans and a bowl of couscous and you’re done.

It’s a tasty reminder that August may be almost over but that doesn’t mean that summer is finished just yet.

A harissa marinade for the meat is a little more sophisticated than a simple olive oil and thyme mixture

Harissa lamb chops

The biggest challenge to this is to figure out how many lamb chops to serve per person. This depends on what else you’re serving and how gluttonous your friends or family are. Mine tend to rank high on the glutton scale so I allow 3-4 chops per person.

Serves 2-4

10 French-cut lamb chops, about 600-700g
2 Tbsp. harissa paste
1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt

Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl or plastic resealable bag. Add the lamb chops and toss them so they’re evenly coated. Place in the refrigerator for an hour or two. Remove the chops from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. Heat your grill to medium hot or you can cook them on a ridged pan on the stove. If there is any excess marinade, remove it from the chops before placing them on the grill. Cook them for a minute or two for medium-rare and then flip them and cook for another minute or two. Remove and place on a serving platter. Add a sprinkle of sea salt to the chops and an extra drizzle of olive oil if you like.

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