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BBQ merguez lamb chops on wooden board

BBQ Merguez Lamb Chops

Deborah
Quickly cooked on the BBQ...they're tender and juicy with charred lines and have a lovely flavour from the spice mix.  
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Cooling time for the spice mix: 10 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine Middle East, North African
Servings 2 to 3 people

Ingredients
  

For the merguez spice mix - see Notes (makes almost 5 tbsp of spice mix):

  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1.5 tsp coriander seeds
  • 1.5 tsp fennel seeds
  • 0.25 of a cinnamon stick broken into pieces
  • 0.25 tsp black peppercorns
  • 2 tbsp sweet paprika or pimenton
  • 0.25 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1.5 tsp salt

For the chops:

  • 8 lamb chops
  • olive oil
  • 4 tsp merguez spice mix

Instructions
 

For the merguez spice mix (see Notes):

  • Heat a frying pan on medium heat and dry roast the cumin, coriander, fennel and cinnamon stick for about 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Do not let them burn.
  • Leave the cooked spices to cool down completely, otherwise they'll create moisture in the final product and reduce the shelf life drastically.
  • Place the cooked spices and peppercorns into a good spice or coffee mill and blitz to a fine powder.
  • Add the paprika, chilli powder and salt and pulse to mix thoroughly or add these ingredients to a small bowl along with the ground spices and mix well to combine.
  • Store the spice mix in a dry, clean jar and keep, tightly sealed, in a cool place along with your other spices. It should last for about 6 months but as with any other spices, its potency will decrease with age.

For the chops:

  • Heat the BBQ to high. Rub both sides of each chop with some olive oil, then sprinkle 2 tsp of the spice mix over one side of each chop.   Rub the spice mix into each one, then turn them over and sprinkle the other 2 tsp of spice mix over them.
  • Place the chops on the hot BBQ in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.   Remove from the BBQ and rest for 5 minutes.

Alternative cooking instructions:

  • Cook the chops under a hot grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.
  • They can also be cooked on the hob in a hot frying pan, griddle pan or skillet for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.  Cook them in a couple of batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.

Notes

  • Make ahead – the merguez spice mix can be made in advance and will keep in a tightly sealed jar for up to 6 months.
  • This BBQ merguez lamb chops recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.

 

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Keyword barbecue, griddle, grilled, lamb, merguez seasoning, summer food