Recipes

Caponata with Grilled Lamb Chops

Take a look at the third recipe in our new series below with our award winning brand ambassador Theo Randall and learn how you can create this beautiful, flavoursome lamb dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 lamb racks
3 medium size aubergines
2 red peppers
2 yellow peppers
4 medium size courgettes
1 red onion, finely sliced
2 sticks of celery, cut into 1/2 cm pieces
600ml tomato passata
2 tbsp of miniature capers in vinegar
75g pine nuts
5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 leaves fresh basil, roughly torn

Method

Peel the fat off the rack of lamb. With a sharp knife, cut between each bone so you have 8 lamb chops.
Take a freezer bag and place the lamb chop into the bag with a few drops of water. Place the bag onto a chopping board with the eye of the meat flat and facing you. Take a small saucepan and bash down in short sharp bashes onto the lamb chop, this will flatten the lamb so it increases in size. Try and make sure they are as even as possible. Continue so you have 8 flattened Lamb chops. Leave them to one side.
Cut the aubergines into 2cm thick disks and cut them in half again, so you have 1/2 moons of aubergines. Place the cut aubergines in a large bowl with a sprinkle of salt and 3 tbsp olive oil. Mix thoroughly so the aubergine pieces are covered in olive oil. Place the oiled aubergine slices carefully onto a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper, so they are not on top of each other but fill the tray. Place in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes.
Next, take out of the oven and turn the aubergine slices. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Check they are cooked by using a sharp knife cut into the outside edge of the aubergine; if the knife goes through easily and there is no resistance, then the aubergine is cooked.
In a hot, large, heavy-based saucepan, add 2 tbsp EVO, sliced onion and celery and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.
While the onions are cooking, prepare the peppers by cutting them in half lengthways and removing the stem and all the seeds. Cut all the peppers into rough 2cm pieces. Add the peppers to the onions and add a generous pinch of salt to the pan.
Place a tight-fitting lid on top, so the peppers start to steam and become softer. After 10 minutes of cooking, add the courgettes and cook without the lid for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato passata and cook still on low heat for a further 10 minutes so the tomato passata has reduced by half. Add the capers, pine nuts, torn basil and finally the roasted aubergines. Mix together well and leave on the stove to cook very gently for a further 5 minutes so the aubergines combine with the other ingredients, check the seasoning.
Heat a griddle pan so that it starts to smoke. Season the flattened lamb chops with salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Place on the grill and cook for 2 minutes one side and 1 the other. Place on a warm plate to rest for 1 minute.
Serve the grilled lamb chops with the caponata on the side.

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