Lamb is a traditional treat at Easter but who says you have to spend hours to roast up an entire leg of lamb.
Try these easy herbed lamb chops, a quick and simple recipe which gives you the scope to fry up as many or as few chops as you need to feed your guests.
Apart from the marinading time of between one and 24 hours, there is minimal preparation and the marinade itself is also a quick and easy recipe.
Many herbs taste delicious with lamb and this marinade uses a combination of mint, rosemary, oregano, and parsley. If you do not have fresh herbs, you may substitute dried, but halve the quantity.
Remember also that overcooked lamb is chewy so it is not recommended to cook lamb chops until they are grey all the way through. The preferred way is medium rare, which means a minimum internal temperature of more or less 62°C.
This dish takes only takes 10 minutes to cook, working to the medium-rare level which asks for a cooking time of four to six minutes on each side.
Serve with a large leafy green salad or a medley of vegetables.
Easy Easter lamb chops
Ingredients
6 to 8 lamb loin chops, each 2.5cm thick
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided into two portions)
6 cloves crushed garlic
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Method
Place lamb chops into a shallow dish.
In a small bowl, stir together two tablespoons olive oil, garlic, pepper, and herbs. Rub over chops. Place in fridge and let marinate at least one hour, or up to 24 hours.
Remove chops from marinade and season with salt just before cooking.
Preheat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add two tablespoons olive oil and butter until melted.
Cook chops in the heavy skillet for four to five minutes per side for medium rare.
Let the meat rest for a few minutes then serve hot with vegetables or salad.