Barbecued lamb lollipops with spiked hummous & nuts

This is perfect summer food when you've got a few mates round – just pile it all on a board in the middle of the table and dig in! It's good fun food and your mates will be blown away by the combination of lemony hummus, spicy harissa and crunchy nuts. 

This really is summer eating at its best – just don't forget to serve up a few ice-cold beers on the side!

Ingredients

12 quality lamb chops, French-trimmed

1 small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

400 g hummous

1 lemon

2 tablespoons harissa paste

1 handful mixed nuts and seeds, toasted

3 handfuls mixed salad leaves, washed and spun-dry

extra virgin olive oil

Method Start by getting your barbecue going – it'll need about 45 minutes cranking away until the heat has mellowed enough to cook your lamb chops.

On a big chopping board roughly chop the thyme leaves. Bash the fennel and cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar with a good pinch of salt and pepper then sprinkle them over your chopped thyme on the board.

Rub the lamb on the seasoned board so the spices stick to it. Once the chops are well coated, drizzle each with a little olive oil, then pop onto the barbecue, turning every couple of minutes for about 8 to 10 minutes in total.

Meanwhile, put your hummous into a bowl with a little squeeze of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of harissa. Mix well. Bash the toasted nuts and seeds in a pestle and mortar.

Put your salad leaves in a bowl and dress with a good squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Toss together.

By this time your lamb chops should have had 8 to 10 minutes and be perfectly cooked. Press the meat with your finger - if it gives it's medium rare, if it doesn't it's well done. Get yourself a big board and spoon your lemony hummus on to one side, top with the remaining harissa and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Pile your salad and bashed nuts in separate plies on the board too, then stack your chops on the board, get your friends round the table and dig in. Perfect.

Nutritional Information - Amount per serving:

Calories1089kcal

Carbs13.6g

Sugar3.1g

Fat84.4g

Saturates29.2g

Protein66.9g

by Jamie Oliver