Ye Old Thatch - not just one of the 26

Beaufort West is the largest town in South Africa's Great Karoo and I am reliably told that it has 26 things to do.  One of these is a visit to Ye Old Thatch (on the main street), an amalgamation of Bed and Breakfast, Art/Antique Gallery and cosy, country pub.  The place has a reputation for Karoo lamb, and with the town being slap bang in the heart of SA sheep territory, I thought a visit was the right thing to do.

It's an interesting structure with homely nooks and crannies and welcoming owners.  There is an extensive menu that includes well done seafood (Edith, the owner, is from Veldrif on the West Coast) and a variety of meaty options.  My lamb platter was rustic and big on flavour with the crisp pan seared lamb liver being top of the pops, and even better than the chops. 

Edith gave me a few recipes but the one I found most interesting was Lamb chops in Amarula.


Lamb chops in Amarula

Ingredients:

1. a few lamb chops
2. a little olive oil
3. salt and pepper
4. some finely chopped coriander
5. a few glugs of Amarula (and some for the chops)

Method:

• season the chops well
• fry in a hot pan with a little oil
• when crispy and almost done, pour a little (or a lot) of Amarula over each