The February Centerpiece That Makes the Table Go Quiet: Spice-Rubbed Lamb Chops with Pomegranate–Anchovy Butter
In February, I crave drama—warm rooms, cold nights, and a platter that makes everyone stop mid-sentence. This is that dish: lamb shoulder chops rubbed with a Tel Aviv–meets–London spice mix (cumin, coriander, a little smoked paprika, black pepper), blasted at high heat until the fat turns glassy and the edges crackle.
The inspiration is pure Mediterranean layering: the Greek idea of letting lamb taste like lamb, the North African instinct to push heat and spice, and my London habit of finishing everything with a sauce that feels slightly outrageous. Enter: hot pomegranate–anchovy butter. It sounds wild, but it’s the sweet-tart pop I grew up with (pomegranate everywhere) plus the savory depth I learned to love in restaurant kitchens.
A memory: the first time I served this, I forgot to warn my friends about the anchovy. There was a pause, then someone said, “What is that?” and kept eating. Perfect.
Make it yours: swap radicchio for escarole, add orange zest to the butter, or toss the crispy cannellini with za’atar. And please—more herbs than you think. Always.
Featured Recipe
Spice-Rubbed High-Heat Lamb Chops with Charred Fennel–Radicchio, Crispy Cannellini, and Hot Pomegranate–Anchovy Butter
This is my February dinner-party centerpiece when I want the table to go quiet for a second: lamb shoulder chops lacquered with a warm spice rub, blasted at high heat until the edges crackle, then finished with a scandalously savory pomegranate–anchovy butter that melts into every groove. Underneath, I build a winter bed of charred fennel and radicchio (sweet + bitter + smoky) plus crispy cannellini for that addictive crunch. It’s Mediterranean in the way I love most—bold, herbal, a little messy, and absolutely beautiful on a platter.
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Ingredients
- 8 pieces Lamb shoulder chops (or lamb leg steaks), 2–3 cm thick(About 1.2–1.5 kg total; bone-in shoulder chops are ideal for texture)
- 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil(Plus more for drizzling)
- 2 1/2 tsp Kosher salt(Divided, plus more to taste)
- 1 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp Ground cumin
- 2 tsp Ground coriander
- 2 tsp Sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper (or mild chili flakes)(Use more if you like heat)
- 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon(Just a whisper—don’t skip)
- 1/2 tsp Ground allspice
- 5 cloves Garlic(3 for rub, 2 for sauce)
- 1 piece Lemon(Zest for rub; juice to finish)
- 2 pieces Fennel bulbs(Trimmed; fronds reserved for finishing)
- 2 small heads Radicchio(Quartered through the core)
- 2 cups Cooked cannellini beans(Well-drained and patted dry; from 1 can (2 cans if small) or home-cooked)
- 2 tbsp Capers(Drained)
- 6 fillets Anchovy fillets(In oil; they melt into the sauce (optional but highly recommended))
- 6 tbsp Unsalted butter(Cut into pieces, cold)
- 2 1/2 tbsp Pomegranate molasses(Start here; add more to taste)
- 1 tbsp White wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar)(For lift)
- 1 sprig Fresh rosemary(Optional, for the pan while roasting)
- 1 cup Fresh parsley(Leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup Fresh mint(Roughly torn)
- 1/3 cup Toasted pine nuts (or toasted almonds)(For crunch on the platter)
- 1 Lemon zest(Zest from the lemon used in the spice rub.)
- a few Fennel fronds(Finishing garnish mentioned (torn fennel fronds).)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 240°C / 465°F. Put a heavy sheet pan in the oven to preheat—this is my home-cook trick for restaurant-level sear without a grill.
10 min
Tip: If you have convection/fan, use it. A preheated pan means the lamb starts sizzling the second it lands.
- 2
Make the spice rub: in a bowl, mix 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsp Ground cumin, 2 tsp Ground coriander, 2 tsp Sweet paprika, 1 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper (or mild chili flakes), 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp Ground allspice, 3 cloves Garlic, and 1 Lemon zest.
5 min
Tip: The oil carries the spices into the meat and helps the edges blister instead of drying out.
- 3
Rub the 8 pieces Lamb shoulder chops (or lamb leg steaks), 2–3 cm thick all over with the spice mixture. Let it sit while you prep the vegetables (or up to 24 hours in the fridge, uncovered, for deeper flavor and better browning).
10 min
Tip: If chilling overnight, bring lamb back toward room temp for 20–30 minutes before roasting.
- 4
Toss 2 pieces Fennel bulbs wedges and 2 small heads Radicchio quarters with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss 2 cups Cooked cannellini beans separately with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp Capers.
8 min
Tip: Keeping beans separate helps them crisp instead of steaming with the veg.
- 5
Carefully remove the screaming-hot sheet pan. Arrange fennel and radicchio cut-side down on one side. Scatter the beans and capers on the other side in a single layer. Nestle in the optional 1 sprig Fresh rosemary.
3 min
Tip: Give the veg direct contact with the pan—this is where the char happens.
- 6
Roast for 12 minutes, then flip the fennel/radicchio and stir the beans. Push vegetables/beans to make space and lay the 8 pieces Lamb shoulder chops (or lamb leg steaks), 2–3 cm thick on the pan in one layer (work in two pans if needed).
5 min
Tip: Overcrowding is the enemy of browning—use two pans before you stack anything.
- 7
Roast the lamb at high heat until deeply browned and cooked to your liking: 8–12 minutes more for chops (aim 55–60°C / 131–140°F for medium-rare), 10–14 minutes for leg steaks. Rest the lamb 8 minutes while the veg/beans finish crisping if needed.
20 min
Tip: If the veg need more color, pull the lamb to rest and give the pan 3–5 extra minutes in the oven.
- 8
Make the bold finishing sauce (hot pomegranate–anchovy butter): in a small pan over medium heat, melt 6 tbsp Unsalted butter. Add 2 cloves Garlic and 6 fillets Anchovy fillets; stir until anchovies dissolve, 1–2 minutes. Add 2 1/2 tbsp Pomegranate molasses and 1 tbsp White wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar); simmer 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in remaining cold butter piece by piece until glossy. Taste—add a squeeze of 1 piece Lemon and salt only if it needs it.
6 min
Tip: Off-heat butter whisking keeps it silky. If it breaks, whisk in 1 tsp warm water to bring it back.
- 9
Plate like a winter centerpiece: spread charred fennel and radicchio across a big platter, tumble over the crispy cannellini and capers, then stack the lamb on top. Spoon the hot pomegranate–anchovy butter over the lamb so it drips onto everything. Finish with 1 cup Fresh parsley, 1/2 cup Fresh mint, a few Fennel fronds, and 1/3 cup Toasted pine nuts (or toasted almonds). Serve with 1 piece Lemon wedges.
5 min
Tip: I like a ‘messy-luxury’ drizzle—some sauce on the meat, some on the veg, some on the platter for dragging.
Chef's Notes
This dish is my love letter to two cities: Tel Aviv’s obsession with sour-sweet dressings (pomegranate molasses everywhere) and London’s winter bitterness (radicchio forever). The anchovy is my secret handshake—no fishy drama, just deep savoriness that makes lamb taste even more like itself. If you don’t do anchovy, swap in 1 tsp miso or just skip it and bump the salt, but promise me you’ll keep the pomegranate—this plate needs that glossy, tangy punch.
Yael Mizrahi
Bold flavors, beautiful plates
Born in Tel Aviv to a Moroccan mother and Iraqi father, I grew up speaking the language of spice. My kitchen was always full of cumin, preserved lemons, and the sound of multiple conversations happening at once. I moved to London at 22, cooked my way through the city's best restaurants, and discovered that the whole Mediterranean was my playground. Now I create dishes that celebrate the entire region—from Marrakech to Athens, with plenty of stops in between.