Hugh's Lamb Chops, Pea Salad and Roasted Squash

By Helen

Main Ingredients:

• Lamb chops
• Butternut squash
• Rosemary and thyme
• Garlic
• Peas and spring onions
• Feta cheese

Another long lovely Bank Holiday weekend and I returned to Hugh F-W for inspiration - why not, when I had all day to prepare?

But almost by accident I stumbled on the one recipe of his so far that didn't take all day. I fried the chops for a couple of minutes with squashed garlic cloves, then roasted them with lots of thyme, some capers and a glass of white wine. In the same oven I was already roasting chunks of squash with more garlic, rosemary and chopped chilli.

The same book also provided the greens - chopped spring onions cooked with peas and thyme, then ricotta and feta cheese. All in all a very simple, quick meal which would almost be at home in Jamie's book - lots of colour and fresh herbs, plus the usual shortcuts (ie don't peel the squash, pre-heat the roasting tin while you're doing something else).

This wasn't a particularly spectacular recipe but was slightly more special treatment for the ingredients than they would usually have, and it paid off. We already had most of the ingredients so the cost per-head was a not at all bad £2.33.

Taken from... Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - River Cottage Every Day
Best for... Supper with friends when you'd rather be chatting than stuck in the kitchen
Chris says... Pretty damn tasty, although as always with lamb chops, more meat would have been welcome.