Lavender Honey Brushed Lamb Chops Served with Moroccan Chickpea Couscous Salad
Prepare the salad in advance and then the only thing that is left to do when your guests arrive is to roast the lamb. Easy and delicious with all the flavours of Provence combined on a plate.
18-bone Rack of lambpreferably from Sisteron, trimmed**
1tbspLavender Honey
2tspMoroccan spice blend(see below)
For the Moroccan Spice Blend:
1tspCumin
½tspCinnamon
1tspEspelette Pepperor spicy paprika
1tspGinger
¼tspTurmeric
¼tspAllspice
Instructions
Before your guests arrive:
Cook large pearl couscous in 1-1/2 cups of salted water till done, about ten minutes.
Drain well, then put into a large bowl.
Add lemon juice, olive oil, Moroccan spice blend, chickpeas, raisins, garlic, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, red onion, and chopped parsley and toss well. (see note)
When you are ready to eat:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230C).
Place the lamb rack fat side down in a cold pan. Heat over a medium burner till golden brown. The idea is to slowly cook out the excess fat and make it crispy.
Brush fat side with lavender honey, season with salt/pepper and roast standing upright for 20 minutes, or until done.
Let meat rest 15 minutes before cutting.
To serve, cut the lamb into chops, adjust seasoning of salad, and serve the salad on the side.
Notes
*This salad gets better the longer it sits. You can make a day or two in advance.**Ask your butcher to trim lamb racks for roasting.