Lamb Chops and Three Yoghurt Dressings

As you should have loads of Turkish yoghurt left from last night, this will use up the rest of it. We’re going to use it three ways.Despite how nice the eggs in yoghurt were, he was determined not to to like it. However, he loves lamb chops. He can’t hide it. You love him and can’t hide it either.

6 Lamb chops (if you love him, choose the most massive ones you can find).

2 Aubergines

4 Courgettes

600ml Yoghurt

3 cloves Garlic, crushed

Olive oil for frying

1 tbsp garden Mint sauce

1 tbsp Harissa

Slice the auberginse and courgettes lengthways and fry them until golden brown. Drain them really well. Pat them with kitchen paper and keep warm. I’m not trimming the fat from the lamb – it’s too delicious so I don’t want a double dose from the veg. A really hot pan will help.

Spoon out about half the yoghurt and crush in the garlic. Mix well. Add a little rock salt. Accept this will be quite harsh and raw tasting. It's not meant to be refined.  

Pour him a beer. Reheat the frying pan and get the chops on. As well as cooking on both sides, hold the chops fat side down in the pan with your tongs. Get it really crispy.

While the meat is resting, stir a tablespoon of garden mint sauce into 150ml of the yoghurt. It’s not as sweet as regular mint sauce, but you could go to the other extreme and add mint jelly instead. Stir it up well. To the last 150ml add Harissa paste but mix it loosely so it’s red and white rather than pink.  If you can’t find it, mash a few red chillies with caraway seeds,a  little tomato paste and oil and then lightly stir through the yoghurt. The yoghurt is meant to calm it down, not overcome it.

Plate it up, pouring the garlic/yoghurt mix over the aubergines and courgettes and with spoonfuls of the other dressing next to the chops – in varying proportions - the mint dressing is for him, the Harissa is for you.

The garlic in the yoghurt with the aubergines and courgettes tastes surprisingly fiery. It’s meant to. The fat from the lamb chops and the cool yoghurt cuts through it like a dream. He stays with you for a reason. Start a new tradition of reading to each other, rather than watching TV. He wants to start with Dracula and you’re reading.