Mourad Lahlou’s Recipe for Lamb Chops With Roasted Squash and Chermoula

Mourad Lahlou’s Recipe for Lamb Chops With Roasted Squash and Chermoula

An herby chermoula sauce enlivens quick-cooking lamb chops and spicy bites of roasted squash in this festive (but not at all fussy) recipe from Mourad Lahlou of San Francisco’s Aziza

By Kitty Greenwald in the Wall Street Journal

 “LAMB IS BASICALLY the number one meat in Morocco,” said Mourad Lahlou. At his new restaurant, set to open next month in San Francisco, the Marrakech-raised chef will serve a whole lamb shoulder, first braised and then roasted. It will come to the table family style, accompanied by couscous, roasted winter vegetables and pickles, sauced with zesty red harissa and green chermoula.

The Chef: Mourad Lahlou

His restaurants: Aziza and a yet-to-be-named place due to open in January 2015, both in San Francisco

What he is known for: Turning out classic Moroccan dishes as well as inventive North African-inspired tasting menus, always with the freshest Northern California produce.

This is how Mr. Lahlou wants to cook these days, and he knows it’s how his customers want to eat. “It’s not a foam, and it’s not a sphere,” he said. “It’s personal.”

Lamb Chops With Roasted Squash and Chermoula

Total Time: 35 minutes Serves: 4

• 8 lamb chops (about 2 pounds total)
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1 medium butternut squash (about 1½ pounds), seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon berbere spice mix or toasted cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• ¼ teaspoon crushed cumin
• ¼ teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss lamb chops with 1 tablespoon oil, garlic and oregano. Set chops aside, at room temperature, at least 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toss squash with ¼ cup oil, a pinch of salt, berbere spice mix and sugar. Spread squash out on a medium roasting pan and cook until caramelized and fork-tender, 25 minutes.
3. Make chermoula: In a medium bowl, whisk together parsley, cilantro, shallots, cumin, coriander, vinegar and ¼ cup oil until combined. Set aside.
4. Season chops on both sides with salt. Heat remaining oil until just beginning to smoke in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, place chops in pan and cook until well browned, 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook until other side is browned and interior is medium-rare, about 2 minutes more.
5. Place 2 lamb chops and a helping of squash on each plate, then drizzle with chermoula.

Chermoula:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chermoula

Harissa:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harissa