Harissa-marinated lamb with chickpea puree-Cook Simple by Diana Henry

Well this was an easy choice for me, Diana Henry is probably my favourite cookery writer and I have never had a Diana disaster! This book is her third book and concentrates on simple dishes that can be achieved with little effort. The cooking times are not necessarily quick, but with most dishes the food is baking/marinating or roasting away in the oven whilst you put your feet up. Lamb is my favourite meat, I could happily eat it most days but Marc is not too keen. I really hoped to change his thoughts with this dish, so I get my lamb fix more often! This recipe was adapted to serve 2.

2 tbsp harissa
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
handful of torn mint leaves
4 chunky lamb chops
salt and pepper

Mix the harissa with the garlic, oil, lemon and mint and put the chops into it, making sure they are well coated on both sides. Cover and leave in the fridge from 1 1/2 hours to overnight, turning every so often.
Heat the griddle pan for the chops, until the griddle is smoking. Salt the chops and the last minute and cook them on a high heat for about 3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown on the outside, but still pink in the middle.

I served ours with some garlic and pine nut rice and some flatbreads. Marc was very impressed and now Lamb is back on the menu!