Vietnamese lamb chops with kumara ginger mash

You can't beat home kill! My husband went to visit his brother in the Wairarapa at the weekend to meet our nephew (Blake, of 6 months) and to go duck shooting. Zero ducks and 5 turkeys later, at least he brought home some meat. We were lucky enough to be gifted a 'meat pack' from Ngatapa Farm, which included these delicious lamb chops. And I'm pleased to say that the freezer is overflowing...it's like many things in life...it's all about who you know!

I chose to marinade the chops with vietnamese flavours and serve it with a kumara mash & stir fried peas w onion and chilli.

The kumara ginger mash is based on a recipe we used often while catering for The Hobbit 'on set' film crew. I was fortunate enough to have a couple of months work experience as part of the Flying Trestles catering crew at the end of 2011. It was a huge opportunity for me, meeting some incredible people and learning lots about food & catering, how big budget films operate, very early morning starts (often before 4am) and 12+ hour days, 6 days per week!!! Quite a challenge in my first trimester of pregnancy and also after working 12 years in banking, 35 hours a week at my desk in front of a PC to 70 hours a week on my feet!!!

Serves 2

Vietnamese marinade
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1.5 tsp sugar
1.5 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients. Rub all over the lamb chops, wrap and refridgerate for no less than 2 hours.

Lamb chops
Cook the lamb chops to your liking. I would have grilled them in the oven for 10 minutes on each side but because I'd cleaned the oven that day, I fried them on a skillet for about 7 minutes each side. I don't mind them a bit charred myself but grilling is probably better!

Kumara ginger mash
3 red kumara, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp crystalised ginger, finely chopped & heated so forms a paste
1 tbsp chicken stock powder
75g butter
1/4 cup of milk

Boil the kumara in salted water until soft, drain the water. Add rest of the ingredients and mash then blend with the milk for a finer consistency. Season with salt & pepper to taste