Complete with a detailed ingredients guide, a Ghanaian soundtrack and the story of her food journey through her home country, Zoe's book makes what at first could be overwhelming easy to recreate at home with suggested substitutions and useful tips.
Lamb cutlets with peanut sauce (Serves 4)
This is another simple way to re-spin my favourite basic peanut sauce, this time teaming it with some juicy lamb cutlets or chops. Simply reheat the sauce if you’ve pre-made it, or have some left over from another recipe, and spoon over the lamb when it’s cooked.
8 lamb cutlets or chops, about 2cm thick 1 quantity Peanut Sauce
Marinade
3 tablespoons rapeseed oil or groundnut oil2.5cm (1-inch) piece fresh root ginger, finely grated (unpeeled if organic)1 tablespoon cayenne pepper1 teaspoon crushed sea salt1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
To garnish
a few roughly chopped roasted peanutssprinkle of finely sliced spring onion
Place the lamb cutlets or chops in a dish. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl, pour over the lamb and rub the mixture thoroughly into the meat, coating it all over. If you have time, cover the dish with clingfilm and leave to marinate in the fridge for one hour. Meanwhile, prepare the peanut sauce, or reheat it if you have pre-made a batch.
Take the lamb out of the fridge and leave it to return to room temperature for a few minutes while you heat a griddle pan over a high heat until very hot. Add the lamb cutlets or chops – they should sizzle on contact – and then reduce the heat slightly. Cook the meat without disturbing it (see tip below), allowing it to sear evenly and obtain even griddle marks, then flip and repeat. (If you move the meat around during the cooking process, it will be likely to stick to the pan and won’t cook evenly.)
Remove the lamb from the pan and leave to rest for one minute before transferring to warmed serving plates. Pour 1–2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce over each of the cutlets or chops, then add a little garnish of chopped roasted peanuts and finely sliced spring onion. Serve with rice and Simple Fried Plantain, with a green salad on the side.
TIP: Cooking times for the lamb cutlets will vary depending on their thickness. As a guide, cook for 2–3 minutes if you want your meat pink or 4–5 minutes if you prefer it well-done.
The Independent
Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen by Zoe Adjonyoh is available from Loot.co.za for R477. Click here to place an order