For course three of my menu project I really wanted to showcase a special occasion dish, and nothing is more elegant and delicious than a rack of lamb. In this preparation, it is given a sweet, salty, and crunchy crust that elevates the lamb flavor and gives great texture. Served with slightly bitter and spicy sauteed broccoli rabe and creamy scalloped sweet potatoes, cut like paving stones, to give the dish a fresh and comforting balance. Serve with a medium-bodied Bordeaux blend like Chateau Du Tertre 2004.
Herb-crusted Rack of Lamb with Honey Mustard Glaze
Recipes adapted from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 2 frenched 8-bone racks of lamb
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Canola oil
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced rosemary
Instructions
- Score the fat covering the lamb in a crosshatch pattern. Season the racks on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Set a roasting rack in a roasting pan lined with foil. Heat some canola oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until it simmers. Put 1 rack fat-side-down in the pan and sear until golden brown. Transfer the lamb to the roasting rack, meat-side-up, and repeat with the second rack.
- Combine the mustard and honey in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the butter and garlic in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and add the breadcrumbs, parsley, and rosemary to combine.
- Brush the mustard mixture over the fat and meat (do not coat the underside). Spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the racks, pressing gently and patting the crumbs to adhere.
- Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
- Put the lamb in the oven, with the meat side toward the back, and roast for 30-35 minutes, until the temperature in the center of the meat registers 128-130 degrees. Let the lamb rest on the rack in a warm place for about 20 minutes for medium-rare.
To serve
Carve each rack into four 2-bone chops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Sauteed Broccoli Rabe
Ingredients
- 4 bunches broccoli rabe
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons finely sliced garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Cut away and discard the thicker part of the broccoli rabe stems, cutting about 1/2-inch below the smaller, more tender stems. Remove any torn or smaller greens.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season heavily with salt. Setup a cooling rack over a baking sheet and line with paper towels. Prepare an ice bath.
- Add half the broccoli rabe to the boiling water and cook until tender but slightly resistant to the tooth. Remove with a skimmer and shock in the ice bath. Drain on cooling rack. Repeat with remaining broccoli rabe.
To serve
Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until lightly brown and crisp. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and the broccoli rabe and cook, tossing often, for about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sweet Potato Pavé
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes (three 1-pound potatoes if possible)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon softened, and 4 tablespoons cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Canola oil
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed, skins left on
- Minced chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour the cream into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Peel the potatoes. Lay a Japanese mandoline over the bowl of cream and slice the potato lengthwise into very thin slices, letting them drop into the cream. Repeat with remaining potatoes.
- Brush a 10-by-6 1/2-by-3-inch high pan with half of the softened butter. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 5-inch overhang on the two long sides (these will serve as handles.) Brush the parchment with remaining softened butter and season with salt and pepper.
- Trim potato slices to form a solid even layer in the bottom of the pan and lay them in the direction that works best to fill the pan. Repeat to form a second layer. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue layering in this pattern until all the potatoes are used up. Fold over the sides of the parchment and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake the potatoes for 1 hour and 50 minutes, or until completely tender when pierced with a knife. Let cool for 15 minutes. Put a weight on top of the potatoes (cans work well), cool to room temperature, wrap well, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or up to 2 days.
To serve
- Lift the pavé out of the pan using the parchment handles, place on a cutting surface and trim the edges. Cut into 16 equal pieces.
- Heat some canola oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, thyme and garlic, and cook, basting with the liquid in the pan, until browned on the first side, then carefully turn and brown the opposite side.
- Sprinkle with chives and pepper.
Tara O'Keeffe