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Braised cima di rape with lamb ‘scottadito’ chops and anchovy sauce

Renowned chef and Great British Food Awards judge Theo Randall shares a delicious lamb chop recipe, perfect for spring

Ingredients

1 rack of lamb

1 kg cima di rape or 500g tender stem broccoli

1 clove garlic

1 small tin of anchovies in olive oil (50g)

1 unwaxed lemon 

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp of chopped rosemary

Method

Begin by peeling the fat off the rack of lamb. With a sharp knife, cut between each bone so you have 8 lamb chops. Take a freezer bag and place the lamb chop into the bag with a few drops of water. Place the bag on to a chopping board with the eye of the meat flat and facing you. Take a small saucepan and bash down in short sharp movements on to the lamb chop. This will flatten the lamb so it increases in size. Try and make sure they are as even as possible. Continue so you have 8 flattened lamb chops. Leave them to one side.

Wash the cima di rape and rip off the outer leaves. Keep the tender young leaves on the stem. Blanch in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, drain and roughly chop. 

In a hot saucepan, add 1 tbsp of oil, half the sliced garlic and add a pinch of crushed fennel seeds, cook for 30 seconds then add the chopped cima di rape. Cook gently for 3 minutes, check the seasoning and keep warm. 

In a pestle and mortar, crush the remaining half of the sliced garlic with the chopped rosemary and a pinch of sea salt to a paste, add the anchovy fillets and work to a smooth paste. Add the lemon juice and slowly add 5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, so the sauce is emulsified. Keep to one side.

Heat a griddle pan so that it starts to smoke, season the flattened lamb chops with salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Place on the grill and cook for 2 minutes one side and 1 the other. Place on a warm plate to rest for 1 minute. 

On hot plates, place the cooked cima di rape in the middle of the plate with 4 Scottadito chops each and drizzle over the anchovy sauce.