Grilled Lamb Chops with Parmesan Polenta and Garlic, Chilli and Mint Peas

Believe it or not, until recently I had never eaten or cooked with polenta before. It's just not something that I've ever thought to buy and it's never spoken to me on a menu but I was given a pack to have a play around with and I have to say that I'm now converted!

There are generally two ways to enjoy polenta - cooked until solid and then grilled or fried (think chips) or soft and creamy with a good amount of cheese (think mash). This is the creamy version and I made mine very simply with Parmesan and a little drizzle of oil. In terms of accompaniments, I went with classic combos - lamb, mint and peas - pepped up with a little garlic and chilli.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Parmesan Polenta and Garlic, Chilli and Mint Peas
Serves 2

good quality olive or rapeseed oil
2 lamb chops (ideally bone in)
55g polenta
35g Parmesan
½ red chilli, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
150g frozen peas
2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 lemon, juice only
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring 450ml water to the boil in a large saucepan. Pour in the polenta in a slow, steady stream, stirring or whisking all the time. Bring to a simmer and leave to cook gently, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes until cooked.

Meanwhile, put a griddle pan over the highest heat you can and heat until smoking hot. Alternatively, preheat your grill to high. Drizzle a little oil over the lamb chops and rub until coated all over. Place on the griddle pan or under the hot grill and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Remove and wrap in tin foil to rest.

Heat a little drizzle of oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a couple of minutes until you can smell the garlic. Add the peas to the pan and cook for a few minutes to warm through. Add the mint and lemon juice and stir through, continue to cook for a couple more minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When the polenta has finished cooking, add Parmesan, a little glug of oil and a little salt then mix in. Season the rested lamb chops with plenty of salt and pepper.

To serve, divide the polenta between two plates or shallow bowls, top with the chops and then spoon on the peas. Drizzle over any resting juices from the lamb and enjoy!

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