Equipment
Ingredients
Lamb and Marinade
- 8 lamb rib chops
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 g ground cumin
- 5 g ground coriander
- 3 g smoked paprika
- 3 garlic, minced
- 6 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper
Vegetables
- 2 aubergines, sliced into 1.5cm rounds
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, whole
- 30 ml olive oil
- 4 g kosher salt
Harissa Tomato Sauce
- 30 g tomato paste
- 45 g harissa paste
- 60 ml water
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Base and Garnish
- 300 g labneh
- 10 g fresh mint, leaves picked
- 10 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 891 kcal
- Protein
- 57 g
- Carbohydrates
- 24 g
- Fat
- 57 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 14 g
- Sodium
- 1460 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 1239 mg
- Calcium
- 326 mg
- Iron
- 8.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 103 mg
- Phosphorus
- 417 mg
- Zinc
- 6.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 155 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 13 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 14 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.09 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.13 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 48 mcg
- Water
- 160 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine olive oil, ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl to create the marinade.
Add the lamb chops to the marinade, massaging the mixture into the meat. Wash hands thoroughly and sanitize all surfaces after handling raw meat. Let the lamb rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
Toss the aubergine rounds and cherry tomatoes with olive oil and salt in a separate bowl until evenly coated.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the tomato paste, harissa paste, water, and lemon juice until smooth.
Preheat a grill or cast-iron grill pan to medium-high heat, around 200°C/400°F.
Place the aubergine slices and cherry tomatoes onto the hot grill. Cook the aubergines until deeply charred and tender, about 4 minutes per side. Cook the tomatoes until blistered and bursting. Transfer vegetables to a warm plate.
Grill the marinated lamb chops for 3 to 4 minutes per side until beautifully seared and cooked to an internal temperature of 57°C/135°F for medium-rare, or 74°C/165°F for well done. Remove from grill and let rest.
Place the saucepan with the harissa tomato mixture over low heat. Simmer gently for 3 minutes until slightly thickened and fragrant.
Spread a generous, sweeping dollop of labneh across the base of each serving plate.
Arrange the charred aubergine rounds and blistered cherry tomatoes on top of the labneh bed.
Place two rested lamb chops onto each plate, leaning them slightly against the vegetables.
Drizzle the warm harissa tomato sauce over the lamb and vegetables. Garnish generously with fresh mint leaves and chopped coriander.
Chef's Notes
- Scoring the fat cap on the lamb chops lightly with a knife before marinating helps render the fat beautifully and prevents the meat from curling on the hot grill.
- Do not skip the resting period for the lamb. Letting it sit for 5 minutes after grilling allows the muscle fibers to relax and retain their juices.
- If your harissa paste is overwhelmingly spicy, balance the sauce by whisking in an extra 5ml of olive oil and a pinch of brown sugar.
- For the best aubergine texture, salt the slices and let them drain on paper towels for 20 minutes before tossing in oil. This draws out excess moisture and bitterness.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store components separately. Labneh should not be mixed with the sauce before storing.
Reheating: Reheat lamb and aubergines gently in an oven at 150°C until warm. Serve over chilled labneh.
Troubleshooting
Aubergines are spongy, dry, or chewy
Cause: Insufficient oil during prep or removed from the grill before the flesh fully broke down
Fix: Wrap in aluminum foil and place in a hot oven or back on indirect grill heat for 5-10 minutes to steam and soften
Prevention: Ensure aubergines are well coated in oil before grilling and leave them on the heat until entirely collapsed and soft
Lamb chops are tough and dry
Cause: Overcooking the meat past the medium-rare or medium stage
Fix: Slice the meat thinly off the bone against the grain to reduce the chewy texture
Prevention: Use a reliable meat thermometer and pull the chops at 57°C/135°F, remembering they will continue to cook slightly while resting
Labneh splits or becomes watery on the plate
Cause: Plating extremely hot ingredients directly onto the cold dairy base
Fix: Cannot be fixed once plated, but does not heavily impact flavor
Prevention: Allow the lamb and vegetables to rest for a few minutes before assembling over the labneh
Cultural Context
This dish weaves together classic Levantine and North African flavor profiles. The pairing of rich, fatty lamb with the cooling tang of labneh and the smoky, complex heat of Maghrebi harissa demonstrates the beautiful culinary cross-pollination found throughout Middle Eastern cuisine. Grilling vegetables to the point of collapse is a foundational technique in the region, prized for developing deep, sweet, and smoky undertones.
