Almond-Crusted Lamb Bites with Charred Fennel and Chimichurri

Build a medium-hot wood-and-charcoal fire in your grill, using the asado method — let the flames rise and fall until you have a steady bed of glowing embers with a gentle heat haze. The coals should be ash-gray and giving steady warmth, not leaping with flame.

While the fire builds, make the chimichurri. Finely chop the parsley, garlic, oregano, and thyme. Combine in a bowl with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Stir well, taste, and adjust seasoning — it should be bright, herby, and slightly tangy. Set aside at room temperature.

Trim any excess fat or silver skin from the lamb chops, then cut the meat into 4 cm bite-sized cubes — you should have about 24 pieces. Season generously with salt and black pepper.

Place the almonds in a mortar or on a cutting board and crush coarsely — you want rough, irregular pieces that will adhere to the lamb, not fine meal. Spread the crushed almonds on a plate.

Roll each seasoned lamb cube through the almonds, pressing gently so the crust clings well on all sides. Set the coated bites on a clean plate.

Trim the fennel bulbs, reserving the fronds for garnish. Slice each bulb vertically into 1 cm wedges, keeping the core intact so the layers stay together. Toss the wedges with olive oil and salt.

Place the lamb bites on the cast iron grate over the ember bed — the oil from the coating should shimmer within 30 seconds. Grill 2-3 minutes per side, until the crust is deep golden and the lamb registers 63°C at the center when checked with a probe thermometer. The exterior should have a faint char from the wood smoke.

In a heavy cast iron pan, place the fennel wedges over the same ember bed. Char 3-4 minutes per side, until the cut edges caramelize and the outer layers blacken slightly. The core should be tender but retain a light bite. Transfer to a plate.

Rest the lamb bites 2 minutes — this allows the juices to settle within the crust.

Arrange the charred fennel wedges across a rustic wooden board or serving platter. Nest the rested lamb bites among the fennel.

Drizzle the chimichurri generously over everything — let it pool around the lamb and seep into the charred fennel. Garnish with a few fennel fronds if desired.