Levantine cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Riyash (Lamb Chops)

Lamb chops marinated with seven-spice blend, garlic, and lemon and grilled over charcoal.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 12 small lamb chops
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp baharat (seven-spice blend)
• 2 lemons
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 1 red onion
• 1 tsp sumac
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Finely grate the garlic and mix with the baharat, the juice of one lemon, 3 tbsp olive oil, and pepper; marinate the lamb chops in this for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Take the chops out of the fridge 30 min before grilling, pat dry, and only now season with salt — this keeps them juicy.
3. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and slice the red onion into wafer-thin rings.
4. Toss both with the sumac, a pinch of salt, the remaining olive oil, and the juice of the second lemon, and chill until serving.
5. Get the charcoal grill to high heat and grill the chops for 2–3 min per side, until they have dark grill marks outside and are still pink inside.
6. Let the chops rest for 3 min and arrange on a warmed platter with the cold parsley salad.