Icelandic breaded lamb chops with spiced red cabbage

Ingredients

For the red cabbage

• 60g/2¼oz butter
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red cabbage (around 750g–1kg/1lb 10oz–2lb 4oz), thinly shredded
• 1 large Bramley apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 50ml/2fl oz red wine vinegar
• 60g/2¼oz blueberries
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 4 tbsp bramble jelly or jam (or redcurrant jelly)
• 3 cloves
• 5cm/2in length cinnamon stick
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ tsp salt

For the lamb chops

• 16 small best-end lamb chops
• 100g/3½oz plain flour
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 100g/3½oz fresh white breadcrumbs
• 60g/2¼oz butter, for frying
• 2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
• salt and pepper

To serve

• new potatoes, boiled
• knob of butter
• 1 tsp freshly chopped parsley

Method

1. For the red cabbage, melt the butter in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion until soft. Add the red cabbage and cook for 2 minutes. Add the apple, vinegar, blueberries, brown sugar, bramble jelly, cloves, cinnamon stick and 125ml/4fl oz water. Season with 20 turns of a black pepper mill and the salt. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 45 minutes, then check the liquid, if drying out add a splash more water; if there is a lot of liquid in the pan, remove the lid so any excess evaporates. Cook for another 15 minutes.

2. For the lamb, season the chops with salt and pepper. Put the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls. Toss the chops in the flour, then dip in the beaten egg and coat with the breadcrumbs.

3. Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, fry the chops until golden-brown all over and cooked through (about 7–8 minutes on each side).

4. To serve, remove the cinnamon stick and cloves from the cabbage. Serve the cabbage and chops with boiled new potatoes rolled in melted butter and sprinkled with chopped parsley.