And it’s called a lollipop – no jokes!
We associate lamb with fat – the crispy strip on a braaied chop – but it can easily be served lean. Ask your butcher to trim a couple of loin chops of all visible fat (or do it yourself) until each is just a nugget of succulent meat attached to the bone (called a “lollipop”). This is a speedy treat dinner for two!
What You Need
6 lamb “lollipops” / trimmed Karoo lamb loin chops (30g each)
800g-1kg butternut (yields about 200g cooked butternut each when served)
For the marinade:
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs rosemary, needles removed
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the gremolata:
½ tsp rosemary needles, chopped
⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley, tightly packed
1 clove garlic
1 tsp finely-grated lemon zest
To serve:
Sea salt flakes and freshly
ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Method
1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C. Peel the butternut, scoop out the seeds and cut into eighths. Line up the pieces on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes or until tender.
2/ Put through a vegetable Mouli or in a food processor and blend to a purée. Set aside.
3/ For the marinade, peel and crush the garlic cloves with the back of a knife and place in a Ziploc bag with the rosemary and lemon
juice. Add the chops. Make sure each is in contact with the marinade, press out the air seal and marinate for 30 minutes.
4/ Just before you cook the lamb chops, make the gremolata. Finely chop the rosemary and parsley. Peel the garlic, chop roughly,
sprinkle with sea salt and then chop until minced. Mix all three together with the lemon zest.
5/ To cook the lamb chops, remove from the marinade and pat dry using paper towel. Rub each with a little vegetable oil.
6/ Heat a heavy-based pan over high heat. When it’s hot enough, add the chops and cook for one minute per side (for medium-rare) or one and a half minutes per side (for medium). Don’t crowd the pan. Remove from the pan.
7/ Spread some butternut purée on a plate, add three lamb chops and sprinkle with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle over gremolata.
SERVES 2. Per 358g serving: 1 421kJ, 12g fat (4g sat), 16g carbs, 140mg sodium, 4g fibre, 42g protein
Cook’s Notes
Don’t store gremolata; it needs to be made just before serving – if left to stand, the garlic will oxidise.
For an even speedier supper, spoon some excellent quality hummus on a plate, top with the hot lamb chops and drizzle with a ribbon of extra-virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice, sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.
Try these 6 healthy, comforting one-pan dinner recipes tonight! Plus: 6 healthy pasta recipes you can make in under 30 minutes.
