Fire-Grilled Lamb Chops on Baba Ganoush with Burnt Onions
By ben naylor
Let's be honest, most lamb chop recipes tell you to quickly sear and serve. This one asks for more. You'll char whole aubergines and onions until their skins blacken completely, building layers of smoke and sweetness that transform into a creamy base for perfectly seared chops. The payoff? A dish where every element – the tender lamb, the smoky baba ganoush, the soft burnt onions, tastes like it belongs to the fire.
This isn't complicated cooking. It's patient cooking. You'll tend the embers, watch the vegetables soften, and trust the char. The Somerset Grill's height control lets you move between gentle roasting heat for the vegetables and fierce searing heat for the lamb without rebuilding your fire. One bed of embers, two completely different cooking styles. The contrast here is what makes this dish work, charred, sweet vegetables against perfectly seared lamb, with the crunch of pomegranate and the richness of tahini bringing it all together. This is fire cooking at its best.
What You'll Need
Somerset Equipment:
- Your Somerset Grill with V Grill
- Fire gloves
- Long-handled tongs
Additional Kit:
- Large serving platter
- Mixing bowl
- Fork for mashing
- Pastry brush
For the Lamb:
- 8-10 lamb loin or rib chops
- 125ml olive oil
- Large handful fresh parsley and mint, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano or chilli flakes (optional)
For the Vegetables:
- 2 large aubergines (whole)
- 2-3 red onions (whole, unpeeled)
- 3-4 heads white chicory, halved lengthwise
- Olive oil for brushing
For the Baba Ganoush:
- 2 tbsp tahini
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- Handful fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
To Serve:
- Fresh pomegranate seeds
- Flatbreads
- 2 tbsp tahini whisked with water and lemon juice until runny
Method
- Light your fire in the ember maker using hardwood logs and let burn down to glowing red embers.
- Rake the embers under the V Grill to create two zones - one with a thick bed for high heat, one with fewer embers for gentler cooking.
- Place the whole aubergines and whole red onions directly on the grill grate over the embers. Let them cook until the skins are completely charred black and the insides feel soft when squeezed with tongs - the aubergines take around 15-20 minutes, the onions need the full 30-40 minutes.
- Mix the olive oil, chopped herbs, minced garlic, salt, pepper and oregano in a bowl, then toss the lamb chops in the marinade and leave at room temperature.
- Once the aubergines are soft and charred, remove them and let cool for 5 minutes. Slice them open and scoop the soft flesh into a bowl, discarding the burnt skins.
- Mash the flesh roughly with a fork - keep it chunky and rustic - then add the tahini, lemon juice, crushed garlic, chopped parsley, salt, pepper and a good glug of olive oil. Mix well and taste, adjusting seasoning as needed.
- Once the onions are soft, remove from heat, peel away the black outer layers to reveal the soft purple flesh inside, then slice into large petals or wedges.
- About 10 minutes before the onions are ready, rake fresh hot embers under the V Grill to build high heat for searing.
- Hold your hand above the embers - if you can only keep it there for 2-3 seconds, you're ready to sear.
- Place the lamb chops directly over the hottest part of the embers and grill for 3-4 minutes per side until you have a dark crust and the meat is medium-rare to medium inside.
- At the same time, place the chicory halves cut-side down on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until you have good char marks and they soften slightly.
- Spread a thick layer of the baba ganoush over a large serving platter, then pile the grilled lamb chops on top.
- Tuck the grilled chicory halves and soft burnt onion petals around the meat, scatter pomegranate seeds over everything, and drizzle with the tahini dressing. Serve immediately with warm grilled flatbreads.
Top Tip:
Don't be afraid of the char - those burnt skins are what give the vegetables their incredible smoky flavour. You'll peel them away to reveal sweet, soft flesh inside.
