Scottadito — "burning fingers" — refers to the thinly cut lamb rib chops (abbacchio, young milk-fed lamb) grilled over high heat and eaten immediately, directly from the grill with fingers. The technique is intentional charring: the thin chops cook in under 4 minutes per side, developing a char on the exterior while the interior remains barely cooked. The char is not a mistake — it is the flavour.
- **Young lamb (abbacchio):** The milk-fed lamb specific to Roman cooking — delicate, sweet, with no lanolin or grassy notes. Regular lamb chops require longer marination and slightly lower heat to approximate - **The thinness:** Rib chops cut between every rib — thin enough that the bone shows on both sides. This extreme thinness is what makes the 4-minute char-cook possible - **The marinade:** [VERIFY] Whether Hazan marinates the scottadito or cooks them plain — the tradition is often simply salt and olive oil - **The heat:** Maximum — cast iron or charcoal grill as hot as possible - **The char:** The thin chop chars before it overcooks. The sweet young lamb fat caramelises against the grill in the first minute; the lean meat chars in the second. Service must be immediate
Hazan