“I love lamb chops. We always had them as a special treat when I was growing up. Somehow the combination of a warm pea and mint salad peppered with ripe avocado is a perfect foil for hot, grilled lamb chops.” Serves 4 Cooking time: 30mins 8 lamb chops Juice and zest of a lemon 3 cloves garlic, bashed with a rolling pin Olive oil 15g parmesan, finely grated Salt and pepper 1 tbsp of rosemary leaves, finely chopped 300g fresh peas, podded 75g rocket 2 avocados Yoghurt and Mint Dressing 300mls thick yoghurt, drained 1-2 tbsp of mint, roughly chopped 3 spring onions finely sliced 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper A pinch of sugar (optional)
Put the lamb in a dish or a plastic bag (check it has no holes) with the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, a couple of stems of mint and salt and pepper and set aside for half an hour. Mean while make the yoghurt dressing by mixing all the ingredients together. Cook the peas in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, drain and refresh under cold water. Season them with a splash of olive oil, the grated parmesan, the lemon zest and a tablespoon of chopped mint and salt and pepper. Peel and slice the avocado into bite-size pieces, squeeze a little lemon juice on each piece, season them and add to the peas. Toss the rocket through the pea mixture and add little more olive oil if needed. Heat a grill on its highest setting and dab each chop with a tiny knob of butter. Grill for 3-4 minutes a side for pink or longer until cooked to your liking. To serve, place the pea and avocado salad on the plates, top with the cutlets and spoon over the yoghurt and mint dressing. Recipe by restaurant owner Thomasina Miers winner of ‘MasterChef’ 2005. In celebration of the winter Hass avocado season.