Parmesan Lamb Chops with Hasselback Potatoes

Parmesan Lamb Chops with Hasselback Potatoes recipe

I love lamb and Easter is usually a big lamb-fest for us. A leg or shoulder of lamb shared with family and friends, washed down with plenty of wine, of course. Like most of the world, celebrations are paired back again this year. I decided to finally make Nigella’s crispy breaded Parmesan Lamb Chops for our smaller celebration. And while I was ticking recipes off my to-do list, I served these with Hasselback Potatoes. Now you can too.

I usually avoid lamb chops for a family meal for a couple of reasons a) they’re expensive and b) for my hungry men-folk I need to buy 100’s of the bloody things to create any sort of substantial meal. But hey, it’s Easter and we need something to bring cheer to the table so I lashed out on a trip to our lovely butcher and treated us to 16 lamb loin chops. Along with my love for lamb, we all have huge love for breaded foods. These small chops are trimmed, flattened then dipped in parmesan laced breadcrumbs. A brief shallow frying in olive oil creates a crisp coating around the tender lamb. What better accompaniment to this lamb than crisp, buttery Hasselback potatoes which are so much easier to make than I imagined, thanks to a cunning cutting tip from, once again, Queen Nigella. And, you don’t even have to peel the potatoes so they’re an Easter win all round.

These Parmesan Lamb Chops can also be enjoyed at room temperature, so if you’re having a picnic over Easter, these could be popped into your bag alongside a lovely bottle of Wine at Heart’s Barbera D’Alba for a perfect lunch outside with your chosen 6 friends or family.

Here’s the Hasselbacks line up, don’t imagine these are too many potatoes for 4, they will so get eaten.

Likewise, I treated us to 16 lamb loin chops, allowing for 4 each, but if your family are less peckish/greedy, allow for 2 to 3 each. If you can stretch to lamb cutlets, these are easier to coat as the bone acts as a handle, but loin chops are just as tasty.

Start with the hasselbacks as they’ll take an hour in the oven. Pre heat your oven to 160 degrees fan assisted and take a large heavy bottomed baking tin and pop on the hob. Add the butter and olive oil and heat over a medium flame.

Take your potatoes, give them a wash if necessary, then place a spud on the spoon as though you were using it for an egg and spoon race.

Using the edge of the spoon to stop you cutting all the way through the potato, make thin slices through the main spud body, stopping short of the base of the spud.

Repeat with the rest of the potatoes. Once they’re all hasselbacked *if that’s even an adjective* add them to the pan of sizzling butter and toss to coat.

Turn the potatoes over so the cut side faces up then season well with salt and pepper then turn off the hob. Roast in the pre heated oven for around an hour. Baste with the butter and olive oil a couple of times during the hour.

While these roast, get on with the coated lamb chops. Trim off any excess fat using scissors or a sharp knife. Next, flatten them slightly between greaseproof paper with a rolling pin or a meat mallet.

Next, whisk the two eggs on one large plate and mix the finely grated parmesan and the breadcrumbs on another. Season the breadcrumbs.

Dip each lamb chop into the beaten egg, allow excess to drip off, then press into the seasoned crumbs, ensuring good coverage. Repeat with the rest of the lamb.

After years of egg and breadcrumbing my hands I’ve finally invested in tongs which makes the job a lot less messy.

Now it’s time to fry. Heat a layer of olive oil in a large frying pan, around 1cm deep over a medium high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the breaded chops and cook for around 3 minutes on each side or until crisp, golden and cooked to your liking. Keep warm on a lined tray once you finish cooking the rest of the batch.

Once the potatoes are cooked then it’s all systems go. Test them for readiness by poking the tip of a knife into the larger ones to check they’re cooked.

Pour a large glass of red wine, this Barbera D’Alba from Wine at Heart is a beauty and pairs brilliantly with the full flavoured lamb.

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Serve with plenty of sea salt, a green vegetable your family is least likely to reject and a handful of freshly chopped parsley.

This is a proper Easter feast. The lamb is crisp and tender, the potatoes are soft and buttery and the wine is smooth but robust. All this deliciousness combined with a four day weekend, at last, we have something to look forward to.

Lucy x

Wine at Heart kindly gave me their wine to try, however, all opinions and ramblings are, as always, my own.

Parmesan Lamb Chops with Hasselback Potatoes recipe

Serves 4, generously

You will just need pots and pans for this

Crispy Parmesan Lamb Chops

12 to 16 small lamb chops, quantity depends on your family’s appetite and I used loin chops, if you can stretch to lamb cutlets then use those

150g breadcrumbs, I used panko crumbs

30g finely grated parmesan

2 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil for frying

Hasselback Potatoes

12 to 16 medium sized potatoes, skin on, I allowed for 4 each, but you can allow for your diners appetites

45g butter

5 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Green vegetables to serve, parsley to garnish

Start with the hasselback potatoes. Pre heat your oven to 160 degrees fan assisted. Take a medium sized heavy bottomed baking tray and put on the hob. Add the butter and olive oil and heat over a medium flame until the butter and oil is just sizzling.

Take a wooden spoon and put your potato into the spoon as though you’re about to run the egg and spoon race. Using the side of the wooden spoon to stop you cutting all the way through the potato, cut thin cuts into the potato, but not all the way to the bottom. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes.

Tip your potatoes into the hot oil and butter and turn to coat. Return the sliced sides to face upwards on all the potatoes, season well then bake for around an hour or until the potatoes are cooked through and crisp, golden and sizzling. Baste the potatoes a couple of times during the cooking time.

While the potatoes roast, get on with the lamb. If your chops have a thick layer of fat, trim it down with a sharp knife or scissors. Next, working in batches, flatten the lamb chops slightly between two sheets of baking paper using a rolling pin or a meat mallet.

Next, whisk the two eggs on a large plate. On another large plate mix the breadcrumbs with the grated parmesan and some salt and plenty of black pepper. Take your lamb chops and, using tongs, dip in the egg first, coating both sides, then press each side into the parmesan crumbs. Place onto a baking tray and repeat with each chop.

Heat around 1cm of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium high flame. Once hot, place your breaded chops, in batches, into the hot oil and cook for around 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your preference, and golden brown. Repeat until you’ve finished cooking all the lamb. Keep warm until your potatoes are cooked.

Serve the parmesan lamb chops with the hasselback poatoes, drizzled with some of the butter from the pan and sprinkled with extra sea salt. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with some sort of green vegetable.

Any leftover lamb chops can be kept in the fridge and nibbled on at room temperature the following day.