From the Chef: Luscious lamb

Lamb lends itself best to flavors from the Middle East and the Mediterranean, vibrant green herbs like mint and basil, lemon zest, garlic and even pomegranate. A caponata is a sort of relish, a savory chutney cooked down from several vegetables and made pungent with brined black olives and capers. In this version of caponata, eggplant, red peppers and a base of onion and celery are cooked together. Black olives and capers are added in at the end.

The lamb chops themselves benefit from a sear in the pan and then are put into the oven to finish cooking. A meat thermometer is a wise investment in this case, making sure the lamb keeps a little pink on the inside.

- Chef Georges Rognard is the former winner of a Michelin star in France. He is now head chef at Alchymist, Nosticova 1, Prague 1. Tel. 257 312 518. Email: info@alychymist.cz

Grilled lamb chops with a warm Sicilian caponata and rosemary oil

For the caponata

Ingredients:

1 celery stick, diced

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

3 eggplants, diced

Tomato paste

Salt

Sugar

Pitted black olives

Capers

Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Put celery and onion in a pot, add salt and cover with water.

Simmer until water evaporates and vegetables are soft.

Add tomato paste.

In a separate pan over medium heat, fry eggplant and red pepper in olive oil.

Mix in eggplant and peppers with celery and onion, and add olives and capers.

Salt to taste.

For the lamb chops

Ingredients:

Lamb chops

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Rosemary

Garlic

Preparation:

Trim the lamb chops, but leave a good amount of fat, which lends the chops wonderful flavor.

Salt and pepper the chops and sauté in a pan until a light brown crust forms.

Add peeled garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs and put lamb in an oven pre-heated to 150 degrees Celsius.

Using a meat thermometer, cook the chops until the internal temperature reaches 68 degrees Celsius.

Serve the chops with warm caponata and drizzle with hot olive oil, garnished with torn rosemary sprigs.