You can count on Ina, on the grill or off.
That would be Ina Garten, cookbook author and TV host for millions of home cooks looking for recipes that can't fail.
Her latest book, "Cooking for Jeffrey" (that reference is to her husband), includes a lamb chop recipe that has made it to my dinner-for-company list.
In typical fashion, she offers a twist on a traditional dish _ grilled lamb chops _ and makes it even better, in this case incorporating both a rub and an unusual kind of marinade to give it a Moroccan flavor. Think mint, garlic, cumin, turmeric and coriander for a rub that's followed by a yogurt-based schmear (the "unusual"marinade).
She calls for it to be prepared many hours in advance, but I can assure you that even a few hours of flavoring makes a difference with the meat.
Garten recommends cutting up a rack of lamb for the chops, which is minimal effort for most cooks. But if that means too many chops for the guests at your dinner table _ or you don't want to cut up the meat yourself _ consider buying them individually.
Garten serves the lamb atop couscous, which for many of us is a treat in itself (how often you eat couscous likely depends on your culinary heritage). This staple of North Africa couldn't be easier to prepare. Usually it's sold pre-steamed and dried, so it needs little more than a dunk in boiling water or stock and about 10 minutes to rehydrate.
Regular couscous is the most common, which has tiny grains before it's plumped up with moisture. But on this occasion, I made the pearl couscous variety, which is slightly larger and those grains look like tiny balls that retain their shape after they are ready to eat, with a similar look to barley. The finished result is pretty and unexpected, which is always a plus for company.
Garten dresses up the couscous with a little onion, pine nuts and mint for the finished dish for, once again, that extra Ina touch.
Prep the lamb earlier in the day, or the night before. Saute the onion for the couscous earlier, and toast the pine nuts, and dinner comes together quickly (the chops need only a total of 8 to 10 minutes on the grill).
If you've never tasted lamb before, this is a terrific introduction. Ina wouldn't have it any other way.
