Recipe: Ben Tish’s sought-after broad beans and lamb

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I once travelled to Sicily with Ben Tish, the chef-director of the Cubitt House group, and his wife Nykeeta for an FT travel piece. He treated us to this dish of grilled lamb, seasonal greens and fresh broad beans, which I’ve wanted to eat again ever since. The base ingredients are typical of Sicilian country cooking (and are in season now in Britain), while the aromatic, smoky, sweet-sour sauce reflects the culinary influence of the Moors, who ruled the island in the Middle Ages.

“I’ve cooked this dish many times at home,” Ben says. “Sometimes on a griddle, but when I can I get the barbecue out to create some real smoke, and the aroma of the charring spices begin to permeate, it transports me straightaway to west Sicily.” It is a joy to cook and eat: the great British springtime — via Sicily — on a plate.

Ben Tish’s lamb chops with broad beans

To serve four as a main

1. Place the garlic, spices, thyme and zest in a mortar and grind into a rough paste.

2. Place the lamb in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and rub with olive oil. Then rub the lamb all over with the ground spice mix, scatter the picked rosemary leaves on the chops and leave the meat in the fridge for an hour to marinate.

3. When the lamb is ready to come out of the fridge, bring a griddle pan or a barbecue to a medium heat.

4. Place the lamb on the grill and cook on one side for four minutes. Turn the chops over (there should be a good caramelisation when they are turned, along with a slight charring on the fat) and cook for a further three minutes or until medium-rare. The chops should have a good spring to the flesh when pressed.

5. Remove the lamb from the grill, squeeze over the lemon juice and rest on a rack in a warm spot for five minutes. This will allow the meat to relax, give an even colouring and tenderise the flesh.

6. Reserve any of the resting juices, mix with the molasses and vinegar and place in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of water. Bring to a simmer to warm through.

7. Meanwhile, bring a large sauté pan to a medium heat, add a glug of olive oil and add the greens and seasoning. Cook until the greens begin to wilt, stirring as you go, and then add the beans. Cook for a further two to three minutes (still stirring) until the greens and beans are cooked and tender.

8. To serve, transfer the beans and greens to a warm, large serving plate, arrange the lamb pieces on top and drizzle over the sauce.

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