There is a particular pleasure in cooking something that requires a little confidence and rewards it completely.

This dish has that quality. Lamb chops, bold with spice and charred at the edges. A chermoula so vibrant and fragrant it could make anything taste extraordinary. A warm chickpea salad that grounds the whole thing without weighing it down. Together they make a meal that feels like an event without requiring one.

Lamb is one of the most nutritionally dense proteins available. Rich in zinc, a mineral that plays a direct and well-documented role in testosterone production, immune function, and cellular repair. Rich in selenium, which supports the antioxidant pathways the body depends on. Rich in B12, iron, and complete protein that sustains energy and muscle function in ways that no plant-based source quite replicates. These are not incidental qualities. They are the reason lamb has been a cornerstone of the human diet for thousands of years, long before anyone called it a superfood.

The chermoula, a North African herb and spice sauce built on coriander, flat-leaf parsley, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic, lemon, and good olive oil, is one of the great condiments of the world and takes eight minutes to make. It works as a marinade, a sauce, and a finishing dressing simultaneously, which means it earns every second of the effort it asks for.

The warm chickpea and herb salad alongside brings plant-based protein, fibre, and magnesium, grounds the dish without weighing it down, and gives the chermoula somewhere additional to pool and be appreciated.

This recipe works equally well in a griddle pan on the hob or on a barbecue outside, which makes it the right choice for June evenings in the UK, where the weather may or may not cooperate but the appetite for something this good always will.

Spiced Lamb Chops with Chermoula and Warm Chickpea and Herb Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes marinating | Cooking Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes, plus marinating | Serves: 2

Ingredients

For the lamb

6 lamb loin chops or cutlets, French trimmed if possible 
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chermoula

30g fresh flat-leaf parsley
20g fresh coriander, leaves and stalks
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt

For the warm chickpea and herb salad

1 x 400g tin of good quality chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
1 small red onion, very finely sliced
4 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
4 tbsp good quality pitted green olives, roughly chopped
1 fresh lemon, zested and juiced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
30g fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
20g fresh coriander leaves and stalks, roughly chopped
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Marinade the lamb. In a large bowl, combine the garlic, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the lamb chops and turn to coat thoroughly in the spice mixture. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the fridge. The longer the better, but even 30 minutes makes a meaningful difference to the depth of flavour.

2. Prepare the chernoula. Place the parsley, coriander, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt in a small food processor or blender. Blitz until you have a rough, vibrant green sauce with some texture remaining. Taste and adjust the seasoning and lemon. It should be punchy, herby, and bright. If you do not have a blender, chop the herbs and garlic very finely by hand and combine with the remaining ingredients in a bowl. The texture will be different but the flavour equally good. Set aside.

3. Make the warm chickpea and herb salad. Place the drained chickpeas in a saucepan with the olive oil and cumin over a medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes until warmed through and lightly golden in places. Add the red onion, cherry tomatoes, olives, and the zest and juice of the lemon. Stir gently to combine and cook for one minute more. Remove from the heat and stir through half the parsley and half the coriander. Season generously. The salad should be warm, fragrant, and bright. Keep warm while you cook the lamb.

4. Cook the lamb. Heat a griddle pan or heavy frying pan over a high heat until very hot, or prepare your barbecue for direct grilling. The pan must be properly hot before the lamb goes in. Add the marinated chops and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium, or 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare, depending on thickness. Do not move the chops around once they are in the pan. Let them sit, let the crust form, and turn only once.

5. Rest the lamb. Transfer the lamb chops to a warm plate and rest for 3 to 4 minutes. This is not optional. Resting allows the juices to redistribute through the meat and ensures every mouthful is as good as it should be. While the lamb rests, add the chilli if using to the chickpea salad and stir through the remaining parsley and coriander.

6. Spoon the warm chickpea salad generously across two plates or a large sharing platter. Lay the rested lamb chops on top. Spoon the chermoula liberally over everything, making sure it reaches the chickpeas as well as the lamb. Finish with a final squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, and a grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Hints & Tips

On the lamb. Loin chops are the most widely available and most forgiving cut for this recipe. Cutlets, sometimes called French trimmed chops, are more elegant on the plate and cook slightly faster due to their thinner profile. Both work beautifully. Whatever you buy, look for chops with good marbling and a deep red colour, which indicates proper ageing and will give you far better flavour than pale, wet-looking meat.

On the marinating time. Thirty minutes is the minimum and produces good results. If time allows, marinate for two to four hours in the fridge and bring the lamb back to room temperature for twenty minutes before cooking. Overnight marinating is excellent for a dinner party, as it means the most flavourful work is done the evening before.

On the chermoula. Make double. It keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to four days and is one of the most versatile sauces you can have to hand. It is extraordinary on grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, fried eggs, and stirred through couscous. It also makes an excellent marinade for fish, particularly salmon or sea bass.

On cooking temperature. A properly hot pan is the single most important factor in cooking lamb chops well. If the pan is not hot enough, the chops will steam rather than sear, and you will lose the crust that makes the dish. To test whether the pan is ready, hold your hand six inches above the surface. You should feel intense heat immediately. Only then should the lamb go in.

On doneness. The best way to check lamb chop doneness is by touch rather than time, as chop thickness varies. Medium rare feels soft with slight resistance, like pressing the base of your thumb when your hand is relaxed. Medium feels like pressing the base of your thumb with your hand half-closed. Well done is firm throughout, but we would encourage you to stop at medium for chops this good.

On the barbecue. This recipe was made for the barbecue. Cook the chops over direct heat on a properly hot grill for the same timings as above. The chermoula can be spooned on after cooking rather than before, as the sugars in the herbs will catch on open flame. The chickpea salad can be made in a cast iron pan directly on the barbecue grate.

On storing leftovers. Leftover lamb keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days and is excellent cold, sliced thinly and tucked into a flatbread with the remaining chermoula and a handful of rocket. The chickpea salad keeps for up to two days and reheats well in a pan with a splash of water. The chermoula keeps for up to four days.