While it is not essential to brown the chops, if done, the dish will have a richer flavour and deeper colour.

Ingredients

• 500-750 grams lamb shoulder chops
• 2 onions, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried mint
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 cup prunes
• 2 oranges, peeled and sliced
• ¼ cup pine or pistachio nuts
• ½ cup black olives (optional)

Method

1. Put the lamb, onion slices, sugar, mint, cinnamon, pepper and oil in a sealable bag and refrigerate overnight to marinate.
2. Preheat the oven to 140ºC.
3. Brown the lamb chops in a hot frying pan, reserving the marinade. Transfer to a casserole. Add the marinade ingredients along with the prunes, orange slices, pine or pistachio nuts and olives if using. Cover.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 3 hours or until the meat falls from the bone. Serve garnished with fresh mint or parsley and accompanied with steamed greens.