Let's Eat: Grilled Lamb Chops from Third Coast Restaurant

2 lamb racks, cleaned and cut into 8, two-bone chops

1 lb. marble potatoes

1 shallot, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb. broccoli rabe, blanched and chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup harissa paste (recipe follows)

2 cups tomato chutney (recipe follows)

For potatoes, cut in half toss with one tablespoon of olive oil, half of the shallots and garlic, one heaping tablespoon of harissa paste, and season with salt and pepper and roast in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for approximately 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked to your liking.

While the potatoes are roasting, brush lamb chops with harissa paste, season with salt and pepper and grill until they have an internal temp of 125 degrees for medium rare. Once chops have reached desired temperature, remove from the grill, cover with foil and let rest while sautéing the broccoli rabe.

For the broccoli rabe, add one tablespoon of olive oil to a hot pan along with the remaining shallots and garlic. Sauté shallots and garlic until lightly browned then add the blanched broccoli rabe. Season with salt and pepper then cook until hot.

To plate, place equal amounts of roasted potatoes, broccoli rabe and lamb chops on your favorite plates and top chops with tomato chutney.

Harissa Paste (makes 1 cup)

12 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

1/4 tsp. coriander seeds, toasted

1/4 tsp. cumin seeds, toasted

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

7 cloves garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

Steep chiles in boiling water for 20 minutes. Sauté fennel seeds, coriander, and cumin in a skillet over medium heat until very fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes. Let spices cool then grind into a powder and set aside. Drain chiles and puree in a blender with the ground spices, olive oil, salt, garlic, and lemon juice. Make sure everything is pureed until smooth by scraping the sides of the blender to incorporate everything. Lastly, push puree through a sieve to remove any seeds or solids. Store in a container of your choice, cover with olive oil and refrigerate up to two weeks.

Tomato Chutney

4 shallots, diced

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup honey

6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. mustard seeds

1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

In a stainless steel sauce pot, sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Next add vinegar, honey and reduce by half over medium heat. Once reduced by half, add all remaining ingredients except for mint and reduce by one third. Once reduced, cool in the refrigerator. When chutney has cooled, add mint and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.