Chimichurri Lamb Chops with Chargrilled Vegetable Salad
BBQ night delight
30 Jan 2016 30 mins 4
[ess_post]
Barbecued meats and chimichurri go hand in hand in Argentina. I’ve paired my take on this traditional sauce with spring lamb chops served alongside a fantastic warm salad that’s packed with chargrilled vegetables and drizzled in herb dressing.
Ingredients
Ingredients
16 lamb chops (allow 4 per person)
Salad
2 eggplants, sliced into 2cm rounds
4 courgettes, sliced diagonally
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
65 grams feta
400 grams cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped (200 grams each of red and yellow if you can get them)
Dot’s Cooking Spray
Dressing
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
pinch flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chimichurri Sauce
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt
8 large cloves garlic
1 cup packed flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves
1 cup fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons chilli flakes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Recipe
To make the Chimichurri (best made a day ahead):
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the salt and stir until dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Mince the garlic very finely and place in a medium bowl. Mince the parsley and oregano together and add to the garlic, along with the chilli flakes. Whisk in the vinegar, then the olive oil and finally the salted water. Transfer to a jar with a tight fitting lid and keep in the refrigerator. Let the flavours mingle for at least a day. The sauce can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
To prepare the lamb:
Bring the lamb to room temperature and spray all over with Dot’s Cooking Spray. Place the lamb on a sizzling hot barbecue and cook 3-4 minutes each side for medium rare. Remove, cover and let them rest for 10 minutes.
For the salad:
Place the eggplant and courgette in a wide bowl. Season with salt and pepper then spray with Dot’s Cooking Spray, turning to ensure they’re covered. Cook on a hot barbecue grill until you have nice char marks, about 2-3 minutes each side. Set aside to cool slightly while you finish the salad.
Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small jug.
Slice each eggplant round into strips, cut the courgette pieces in half and arrange on a serving plate with the chopped cherry tomatoes. Drizzle over the dressing, sprinkle over the pine nuts and crumble over the feta cheese.
Dollop the chimichurri sauce onto each lamb chop and serve with the salad.
