Oak-smoked lamb chops with rosemary and garlic
Making the most of Halen Môn's oak-smoked water and roasted garlic sea salt, this recipe for oak-smoked lamb chops with rosemary and garlic is the perfect main course for a Welsh-inspired dinner party menu.
Hasselback potatoes aren't Welsh (Swedish, in fact) but I'm sure you'll agree, they're a fantastic match for this dish - I love how the thinly sliced potatoes fan out during cooking - it makes it look like you've spent ages crafting them them, when in fact, it was only a matter of minutes!
Team this dish with fresh seasonal veg of your choice for a tasty, wholesome dinner that's ready in less than an hour.
Hasselback potatoes aren't Welsh (Swedish, in fact) but I'm sure you'll agree, they're a fantastic match for this dish - I love how the thinly sliced potatoes fan out during cooking - it makes it look like you've spent ages crafting them them, when in fact, it was only a matter of minutes!
Team this dish with fresh seasonal veg of your choice for a tasty, wholesome dinner that's ready in less than an hour.
Servings 2
Ingredients
For the lamb chops
- 4 lean lamb chops
- 3 tsp Halen Môn oak-smoked water
- 1 tsp Halen Môn's roasted garlic sea salt
- 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the Hasselback potatoes
- 200 g Maris Piper potatoes small to medium-sized
- 2 tsp Halen Môn's roasted garlic sea salt
- 25 g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the veg
- 150g fresh kale
- 100g Chantenay carrots
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the gravy
- 100ml lamb stock (a Knorr stock pot works well if you can't get enough from the lamb chops)
- 1 level dessert spoon plain flour
- 1 lamb stock cube crumbled
Instructions
- Before you start cooking, marinate the lamb. Mix together 1 tbsp olive oil, oak smoked water, roasted garlic sea salt and rosemary and use a pastry brush to coat the lamb chops with it. There's no need to be too careful here, just slap it on generously until the lamb is fully covered. Cover and leave to marinate for four hours.
- Preheat the oven to 210°C/ 410°F. Scrub the potatoes clean, without peeling them. Then, make thin slices all along the width of each potato, without cutting all the way through. Place a pair of chopsticks either side of the potato when slicing, to ensure you don't end up going too far and chopping the potato in half.
- Melt the butter by dissolving it in a saucepan over a low heat, or place it in the microwave for around 20 seconds - make sure you keep an eye on it, as you don't want it to overheat. Remove from the heat, add the olive oil and stir to combine.
- Using a pastry brush, smother the potatoes with the butter and oil mixture, taking care to ensure it goes right down in to the sliced sections. If you want to ensure the potatoes are fully coated, you can even dunk them into the mixture if you like.
Transfer the potatoes to a non-stick baking tray, sprinkle them with roasted garlic sea salt and roast them in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. - After the potatoes have been in the oven for around 15 minutes, place the carrots on a baking tray, brush them with olive oil and roast them in the oven for around 20 minutes.
- Bring some water to the boil in a medium-sized saucepan, while washing the kale. Then, place the kale into the saucepan and steam for around 10 minutes, until slightly tender. Once cooked, drain and mix with olive oil and lemon juice for flavour.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over a medium-heat in a skillet or heavy frying pan, and add the lamb chops. Cook for around four minutes per side, until pink in the centre - if you want them well-done, increase it to five minutes per side. Remove the lamb chops from the pan, at aside and keep warm. Leave the lamb stock in the pan, as you'll be using it for the gravy.
- To make the gravy, combine a lamb stock cube with 250ml boiling water, and add to the pan with any lamb stock from the chops. Boil over a low-medium heat , stirring continuously and scraping the pan to ensure any hardened stock gets added to the mix. Combine the flour with 75ml cold water using a whisk to remove any lumps, then add to the pan gradually, a little at a time, to thicken the gravy. Once the gravy reaches the desired consistency, transfer it to a jug or gravy boat for serving.
If you don't manage to get enough stock from the lamb chops, a Knorr stock pot works wonders. - Serve immediately, with plenty of mint sauce.