Georgina Hayden’s Gilda butter lamb chops pair juicy, golden pan-seared lamb with a punchy anchovy, green olive and pickled chilli butter. Served alongside a crisp smashed cucumber, radish and Kalamata olive salad, this Mediterranean-inspired recipe balances rich, savoury meat with fresh herbs, lemon and gentle Aleppo pepper heat.
Jump To RecipePrep:25 minutes, plus chilling and draining
Cook:20 minutes
Serves:Serves 4
Dietary:Healthy, nut-free, pregnancy-friendly
By Georgina HaydenFrom Saturday Kitchen Live Recipes
These Gilda butter lamb chops score Nutri-Score C. Lamb supplies high-quality protein, iron and vitamin B12, while the cucumber, radish, herbs and lemon add fibre, freshness and vitamin C. Butter, olive oil, olives and anchovies raise the fat and salt content, so enjoy this satisfying lamb chop recipe as a balanced weekend meal.
Estimated nutrition per serving: approximately 640 kcal, 50g fat, 20g saturates, 8g carbohydrates, 5g sugars, 3g fibre, 38g protein and 2.4g salt.
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The kit that makes this recipe easy:
- Cast iron frying pan – ESSENTIAL for success – for searing lamb chops with a deep golden crust
- Mini food processor – for quickly chopping the anchovy, olive and chilli Gilda butter mixture
- Kitchen tongs – for turning the chops and crisping their fat edges
- Rolling pin – for smashing cucumbers and radishes into rustic salad pieces
- Colander – for draining excess liquid from the salted cucumber and radishes
- Large mixing bowl – for whisking the lemon dressing and tossing the salad
Ingredients
For the Gilda butter lamb chops
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 50g pitted green olives
- 2 pickled chillies
- 10g flatleaf parsley
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- ½ unwaxed lemon, zest only
- 8 lamb chops
- Olive oil, for rubbing
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
For the smashed cucumber, radish and olive salad
- 3 small Middle Eastern cucumbers or 1 regular cucumber
- 250g radishes
- 10g mint, picked and chopped
- 10g dill, chopped
- 150g pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, juice only
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ tsp Aleppo pepper
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
Customise
- Swap lamb chops for pork chops or thick-cut chicken thighs, adjusting the cooking time accordingly.
- Use black olives instead of green olives in the Gilda butter for a deeper, sweeter flavour.
- Replace Aleppo pepper with a small pinch of chilli flakes for a similar gentle warmth.
- Add crumbled feta to the smashed cucumber salad for extra creaminess and saltiness.
Method
Make the Gilda butter – 15 minutes, plus chilling
- Chop the flavour base. Put the garlic, anchovies, green olives and pickled chillies on a chopping board. Finely chop everything together, then add the parsley and keep chopping until the mixture is finely combined but still pleasantly textured.
- Blend into butter. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and beat in the softened butter and lemon zest. Alternatively, pulse it briefly in a mini food processor, taking care not to turn it into a completely smooth paste.
- Season and chill. Season generously with salt and pepper, taste, then adjust if needed. Spoon the Gilda butter onto greaseproof paper, roll it into a log and chill until firm; it keeps for 1 week in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
Prepare the salad – 30 minutes
- Smash the cucumbers. Wrap the cucumbers loosely in a clean tea towel and place them on a chopping board. Bash them along their length with a rolling pin until they split open, which helps them absorb the lemony dressing.
- Smash the radishes. Remove the tea towel, roughly chop the cucumbers into bite-sized pieces and place them in a colander. Wrap the radishes in the tea towel, bash them in the same way, then roughly chop and add them to the colander.
- Draw out excess liquid. Sprinkle over 1 tsp sea salt flakes or ½ tsp fine sea salt and toss well. Leave the colander in the sink for 20 minutes, tossing once or twice, so the cucumber and radishes release excess water and stay crisp.
- Whisk the dressing. While the vegetables drain, squeeze the lemon juice into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the caster sugar, season generously with black pepper, then whisk in the extra virgin olive oil.
- Toss the salad. Give the cucumber and radishes a final toss, discard the excess liquid, then add them to the dressing with the Kalamata olives. Toss to coat, stir through the mint, dill and Aleppo pepper, and set aside.
Cook the lamb chops – 15 minutes
- Bring the lamb to temperature. Remove the lamb chops and Gilda butter from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Letting them come closer to room temperature helps the chops cook more evenly.
- Heat the pan. Heat a cast iron frying pan or griddle over a high heat until properly hot. Rub the lamb chops with a little olive oil, then season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Sear until golden. Cook the lamb chops for about 4 minutes on each side for a slightly pink centre, adjusting the time for thicker chops or your preferred doneness. Resist moving them too soon, as leaving them undisturbed builds a beautiful golden crust.
- Crisp the fat. Use kitchen tongs to hold each chop on its fat edge for a moment, rendering and crisping the fat. Transfer the chops to a board or serving platter and leave them to rest for a few minutes.
Finish and serve – 5 minutes
- Add the melting butter. Spoon a generous knob of Gilda butter over each hot lamb chop and let it melt into the meat. The anchovies, olives and pickled chillies create a rich, salty, tangy sauce as they soften.
- Serve immediately. Serve the lamb chops whole or sliced, with a little extra Gilda butter on top and the smashed cucumber, radish and olive salad alongside. Enjoy the contrast between the juicy lamb, savoury butter and cool, crunchy salad.