Paidakia - Greek Barbecued (or broiled) Lamb Chops
The Greeks, as you probably know, are very fond of lamb. Lamb dishes in Greece range from lengthy complex affairs to the unbelievably simple. Lamb is a very flavorful meat and, as some recipe books note, it does not need significant embellishment to make it taste great. This dish has probably the simplest lamb recipe you can imagine. The resulting meal takes just 20 minutes to create from beginning to end.
In the typical apartment in Athens, kitchens are small places. Really more of a place to store a refrigerator as well as the amazingly tiny (by US standards) "electriki cuisina" or stove. In such kitchens complex dishes are often assembled and then taken to the bakers to cook, or the family just eats out.
This lamb dish is one I actually used to make in such a Greek kitchen. I took it with me and continued to make it when I lived in England and now my family loves this dish here in the US. So will yours!
1 loin lamb chops, 1" thick, bone in, per person 1/2 tsp oregano per lamb chop 1 tsp olive oil per lamb chop 1/2 fresh lemon per lamb chop freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat the broiler or barbecue to hot. Place the lamb chop either under the broiler or on the barbecue. Sprinkle on a little oregano, pepper and olive oil. Cook for about 6 minutes. Turn and sprinkle on a little more oregano, pepper and olive oil. Cook for a further 6 minutes.
Serve with the lemon to squeeze over.
I highly recommend serving this dish with Greek French fries and peas to make a traditional Greek meal.
-------------------- I'm still looking.
|