Lamb chops with harissa and spicy mash recipe

ONE of my go-to fiery flavours in the kitchen is harissa, writes JEREMY VINCENT.

Taste tempter: These lamb chops are given a bit of flare thanks to a harissa marinade. Picture: Andy Rogers

ONE of my go-to fiery flavours in the kitchen is harissa.

Originating from North Africa, this paste is a mixture of peppers, dried red chillies, garlic, caraway seeds, ground cumin and coriander, tomato puree, salt and olive oil.

It can be used as a condiment or as an ingredient in cooking and provides a real boost as an accompaniment to vegetables and pulses. Harissa can be bought ready-made in jars or in tubes. Use it to perk up meats cooked in the kitchen or on the barbecue.

LAMB CHOPS

WITH HARISSA

AND SPICY MASH

Onions spiced with cinnamon make a beautiful finish to top this dish of spicy lamb and mash.

Serves 4

8 large mid-loin lamb chops (try to get some with a good strip of fat)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

THE MARINADE

120ml olive oil

2½ tbsp harissa

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Juice of ½ lemon

A handful of torn mint leaves

THE MASH

450g potatoes, peeled

650g parsnips, peeled and chopped

75ml thickened cream

100g butter

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¾ tsp cayenne pepper

4 tbsp milk

THE ONIONS

2 onions, very finely sliced

15g butter

1½ tsp olive oil

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp harissa

Juice of 1 lemon

A small bunch coriander, roughly chopped

Combine the marinade ingredients. Add the lamb chops; make sure they are well coated. Cover, then refrigerate overnight or for at least 90 minutes, turning them every so often. (You can also marinate them in a zip-lock plastic bag which makes it easy to turn the chops so that they are well coated in the marinade.)

Prepare the mash. Boil the potatoes and parsnips separately until soft. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan they were cooked in. Scrunch up a clean tea towel and put it into the saucepan over the potatoes. Set the saucepan over a very low heat for a few minutes. The tea towel will absorb the steam and helps to dry out the potatoes to give you a better mash. Drain the parsnips and puree them with the cream. Mash the potatoes.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and briefly cook the spices. Add the prepared potato and parsnip and beat it all together. Warm the milk and stir it into the mash. Season to taste. Let the mash sit with the lid on if you don’t want to serve it immediately — if necessary, you can reheat it gently just before serving.

Cooking the onions. Fry the onions in the butter and oil until golden. Turn up the heat and brown them quickly, so some become crisp. Add the cinnamon, harissa, lemon juice and coriander, season and cook for a further minute.

Salt the chops and fry them in a hot griddle pan or barbecue over a high heat, until browned on both sides but pink in the middle.

To serve, spoon the mash into warm bowls, heap the onions on top and serve with the chops.

MORE RECIPES FROM JEREMY VINCENT:

BANANA BREAD WITH CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

LEEK SOUP WITH CANNELLINI BEANS AND SPINACH

DATE AND MUESLI BLISS BALLS

STORING AND USING HARISSA

HARISSA will keep in the fridge for a couple of months if you cover the surface with a layer of oil, or keep the lid firmly on the tube. The flavour gets better over time.

FISH and seafood have a natural affinity with harissa, so you can stir the paste into seafood stews, spread it over salmon fillets and grill them until crisp, or swirl a generous spoonful through yoghurt to make a spicy marinade.

YOU can also use harissa as an alternative to chilli paste in stir-fries, soups and barbecued dishes, or serve it as a dip to accompany cooked meats — try it with baby sausages at your next party.

USE harissa to season couscous. As a basic suggestion you can just blend some harissa into couscous and drizzle some olive oil on it. This also works well with lentils with cooked chopped onions and chopped parsley. Great served with grilled salmon.

USE harissa for roasting vegetables. Drizzle your vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt before roasting. Add some olive oil to harissa paste and a bit of honey. Toss your vegetables in it until they are evenly coated and roast them.

RUB harissa into your meat for roasting. You need to make sure that your meat is evenly coated. Use high heat. This creates a beautifully coloured crust and seals in the juices. Watch that it doesn’t burn

IF YOU’RE cooking a casserole, stew or tagine — consider adding some harissa to the cooking liquid. Slow cooking will allow the harissa to develop its flavour and enhance the sauce as well as the final dish.