Lamb Cutlets with Chilli and Black Olives

By polloazul

No one does lamb cutlets better than the Italians and this recipe, which comes to me by way of the great Anna del Conte, is a case in point. The nuggets of pink meat are so tender and flavourful that you just want to gnaw every morsel right off the bone.

I'd keep side dishes plain - maybe some steamed new potatoes and green beans or sugar-snaps - as this needs no attention-seeking embellishment.

And I can't tell you how heavenly these cutlets are, should you be lucky enough (and it's unlikely) to have some left over, snatched straight from the fridge the day after.

Recipe posted by Nigella

Ingredients

• 12 lamb rib chops
• 4 x 15ml tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for frying
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
• 1 teaspoon Maldon salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 15 black olives, pitted and sliced
• 1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Layer the rib chops between clingfilm and flatten gently with a rolling pin or mallet. Unwrap and place the chops in a large dish, so that they all fit in a single layer.
Pour the 4 tablespoons of oil over the chops and add the sliced garlic, chilli flakes, oregano, lemon zest and juice. Sprinkle with the salt and the olives, then turn the rib chops in the marinade so that both sides are coated.
Cover and leave the lamb to marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy-based frying pan, and add the chops, scraping off the marinade before you put them in the pan. (Reserve the marinade.) Fry them for a couple of minutes a side on quite a high heat so that they take on some colour.
Turn the heat down to medium and pour the reserved marinade into the pan over the now coloured chops. Add 2 tablespoons or so of water and cook for about 5 minutes for rare cutlets or a little longer if you like your lamb well done (this will also depend on the thickness of the chops).
Transfer the chops to a serving plate, pour over the juices from the pan and sprinkle with the chopped red chilli, should you feel like enhancing the dried chilli with the pep of fresh.