Marinated gigot lamb chops, roasted in the pan, served with cauliflower blossom, pickled onions and a walnut lemon gremolata, is a perfect dish for quick midweek meals or a nice weekend family dinner.
Using a cut from the leg might not be everyone's favourite choice, when it comes to meat. They tend to be better for braising than for pan frying.
But these gigot lamb chops are juicy, tender and flavourful, thanks to the spiced garlic mix they have been marinated in.
The chops only need 3-4 minutes on each side and about 5-8 more minutes for resting. Meanwhile you can cook the cauliflower and finish the gremolata sauce to serve along.
The dish not only looks stunning but it is really easy to prepare and plate up, see below for yourself!
What are gigot lamb chops?
Gigot lamb chops are centre cut chops from the lamb leg. They usually have a piece of bone in the centre similar to an .
Some butchers sell this cut a chump chop or chump steaks. These steaks are great for grilling but can be braised as well.
What you need
The hero of the dish are the gigot lamb chops but you can make the same recipe using lamb chops or lamb rump too. You will also need:
Cauli blossom are like cauliflower just with long white stems and smaller florets. They taste like cauliflower and can be eaten entirely hence no wastage.
Spices are required for the marinate. I use smoked paprika, fennel seeds, cumin and black pepper.
Garlic lamb and garlic go hand in hand. The garlic is grated and makes part of the marinate.
Walnut gremolata is a recipe on our blog. The sauce requires parsley, lemon, walnuts, garlic and olive oil and it only takes 15 minutes to make.
Olive oil for the marinate and for pan frying the cauli blossom.
Optionally, you can add pickled onions, they are not a must and require some extra steps. Alternatively you can always cook up a few onions while you are pan frying the chops.
Marinating the lamb
For the spice marinate, combine the smoked paprika, fennel seeds, cumin and garlic in a mortar. Add the olive oil and grind the spices with a pestle.
When all ingredients have turned into a paste like oil, add to the gigot lamb chops and rub both sides with it. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Cooking gigot lamb chops
Remove the marinated lamb from the fridge at least 15 minutes before cooking.
To cook the chops, heat a heavy bottom pan or cast iron skillet on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then add the chops to the pan . Season well with salt and pepper.
For a medium rare to medium temperature, cook the gigot lamb chops for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. You want them nicely browned from all sides.
It is important to rest the gigot lamb chops after cooking. Place them on a rack for at least 5 minutes.
As a note: for the final minute, with the help of kitchen tongs, hold the chops up with the fat side facing the pan (see picture below). Render the fat and crisp up the skin.
3 minutes cauli blossom
What broccolini is to broccoli, cauli blossom is to cauliflower, both are versatile new vegetables, that are also easy to find in most stores.
Cauli blossom doesn't require any peeling and is delicious cooked just al dente (with a bite). For this dish, I simply seared them on high heat, with a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper.
When they turn slightly brown after 2-3 minutes, turn them around and cook for a further 2 minutes.
I usually leave the pan on the side and cook the lamb next. Once the lamb has cooked and is resting, I move back the pan with the cauli blossom onto the stove and bring it back to heat before serving up.
for garnishing and plating up
Even though the lemon gremolata adds enough acidity to the dish, I added pickled onions as a garnish. I did not add them to the recipe but they are easy to make (red wine vinegar and sugar heated up and poured over sliced onions) or jump to this pickled onion recipe but slice them thicker.
Alternatively, you can make this pickled garlic recipe that would work well too.
The walnut lemon gremolata is a simple herb sauce and works well with any pan roasted meat dishes. Learn how to make gremolata here.
For plate up add the lamb to the centre of the plate. Add cauliflower blossom on top using tongs or a tweezer.
Next, place the pickled onions around the lamb and drizzle the lemon gremolata over the lamb and around.
Garnish with herbs and sea salt before serving!
FAQ's
Personally for me, I only enjoy them cooked between medium rare and medium, the internal temperature will be somewhere between 62ºC (140ºF) and 68ºC (150ºF).
Look for chops that are pink to red preferably with some white marbling. Pick chops with an even thickness so they are ready in the same time.
The dish is gluten and dairy free and low on carbs which makes it considerably healthy.
Storage and leftover tips
Even so I am not a fan of re-heating meat that has been pan fried or grilled there is always a chance that you will have leftovers.
- If you have leftovers, allow the lamb chops to cool to room temperature and then transfer it to an airtight container.
- Properly stored, cooked gigot lamb chops will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- I suggest you reheat them in a pan on high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side.
What sides to serve with lamb chops
- brussel sprout slaw with raisins and dill
- roasted kipfler potatoes with preserved lemon
- braised red cabbage german style
- roasted fig salad with balsamic and honey
- glazed fondant potatoes cooked with thyme
More lamb recipes
If you want to try other lamb recipes we suggest:
- slow cooked lamb shoulder
- braised lamb shanks with figs and spices
- slow cooked leg of lamb from Peters Food Adventures
- greek style lamb kleftiko from Scrummy Lane
We hope you find the information shared in this post useful! Just follow the recipe and you will be cooking perfect lamb gigot chops in no time! From cooking temperatures to flavour combinations and plating ideas, we have covered it all.
Gigot lamb chops with cauli blossom
Equipment
- 2 frying pan
- kitchen tongs
- resting rack
Ingredients
- 2 gigot lamb chops (220 gram each)
- 160 gram cauli blossom
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 80 gram walnut gremolata
- 6 pickled onions
- salt and pepper
Instructions
for the marinate
- Combine the smoked paprika, fennel seeds, cumin, pepper and garlic in a mortar. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and grind the spices with a pestle.
- Pour the spice paste onto the lamb and rub all around the meat. Keep covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
to cook the lamb
- Remove the marinated lamb from the fridge. Heat a heavy bottom pan on high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the chops to the pan and season the chops with salt and pepper from both sides.
- Cook the lamb chops for 3 minutes and turn over. Cook on the other side for another 3 minutes. You want a nice brown colour on both sides.
- Using kitchen tongs, hold the chops up with the fat side facing the pan. Cook on the skin side for about 1 minute to render the fat and crisp up the skin.
- Remove the lamb chops from the pan and place them on a rack. Rest them for at least 5 minutes before serving.
for the cauli blossom
- Sear the cauli blossom in a pan on high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Season with salt and cook them for 2-3 minutes until they turn slightly brown. Turn them around and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Leave them in the pan until you plate up the lamb dish.
for plate up
- For plate up add the lamb to the centre of the plate. Add cauliflower blossom on top.
- Place the pickled onions around the lamb and drizzle the lemon gremolata over the lamb and around. Optional - garnish with herbs and sea salt.
Sven
Thank you for this recipe, easy to follow.