Reputedly ‘invented’ in 1849, the Barnsley or double loin chop is an ideal mid-week treat, being quick to prepare and delicious. I can also have them cut in half for you to make a conventional loin chop, if you like a smaller cut.
Here I’ve borrowed Tom Kerridge’s recipe, as featured in his book ‘Best Ever Dishes’, and also a feature from Radio 4’s Woman’s hour, purely because his recipe is rather good…
Serves 2
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 thick Barnsley chops
Vegetable oil, for cooking
Generous knob of butter
Juice of ½ lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 small orange, to garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Couscous, potatoes or rice and some simple steamed greens
Preparation Method
In a dry frying pan, toast the cumin and coriander seeds until lightly toasted – about 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate to cool.
Crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar then sieve them on to a plate to get rid of any woody bits.
Push one side of each Barnsley chop into the spice mixture and make sure it gets a good coating. Season with salt and pepper.
Warm a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and pour in a little oil.
When hot, place the lamb chops in the pan, outer-skin-and-fat-side down, so they look as if they are standing up on their sides. Hold them in place with tongs or clean fingers and cook until the fat runs out and the skin starts to brown.
Pour the lamb fat into a bowl, cover and refrigerate. You can use the fat for all kinds of things.
Place the chops, seasoned-side down, in the pan and cook for 8–10 minutes until dark brown and caramelised. Turn the chops over and cook for a further 2–3 minutes for medium-rare lamb.
Add the butter and squeeze in the lemon juice. When the butter has melted, baste the chops then remove them from the pan and leave to rest for 5 minutes on a warm plate.
Place each chop on a warm serving plate, sprinkle over some orange zest then serve with couscous, potatoes or rice and greens alongside.