CATALONIAN FIRE ROASTED LAMB RACK
Ingredients
- 1/2 0.5 0.5cup CUP_USVolumeextra virgin olive oil
- 3 3 3shallots, sliced
- 8 8 8garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 1 1dry ancho chile, roasted, crushed
- 2 2 2scallions, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 1 1small handful of cilantro leaves
- Juice of 2-3 limes
- 1 1 1tablespoon TABLESPOON_USVolumehoney
- 3 3 3racks of lamb, chine bone removed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1 1recipe of Romesco Sauce
Romesco sauce
- 3/4 0.75 0.75cup CUP_USVolumeextra virgin olive oil
- 2 2 2dry ancho chilies, roasted, crushed
- 1 1 1fresh Serrano or jalepeno chile, cored, seeded, chopped
- 1 1 1red bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
- 3 3 3shallots, sliced
- 4 4 4whole tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 1 1cup CUP_USVolumetomato sauce
- Large pinch of saffron threads
- 1 1 1tablespoon TABLESPOON_USVolumecumin, toasted, crushed
- 1 1 1tablespoon TABLESPOON_USVolumecoriander seeds, toasted, crushed
- A few basil and parsley leaves
- 3/4 0.75 0.75cup CUP_USVolumesliced almonds, toasted
- Juice of 1 or 2 limes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and add the shallots, garlic and ancho chile. Cook until barely golden. Remove from heat and add scallions, cilantro leaves, lime juice and honey.
- Remove the whole ‘eye’ from the rack, reserving the rib bones, and place in a non-reactive roasting pan with the marinade. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 hours. Slice the rib bones into 7 or 8 evenly, dividing meat at the bones.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare the Romesco sauce: In a shallow roasting pan, combine olive oil, ancho and serano chilies, red bell pepper, shallots, garlic, tomato, tomato sauce, saffron, cumin, coriander, basil, and parsley. Roast for 40 minutes or until the tomatoes start to brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a food processor. Add the toasted almonds and lime juice. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return half of the sauce to the roasting pan and toss in the rib bones. Loosely cover with foil. Cook for 1 hour or until meat is cooked. Remove the foil cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until meat is brown.
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Scrape the marinade off the ‘eye’. Season with salt and pepper. Sear over high heat, in a large skillet, until all sides are well browned. Transfer to a shallow roasting pan and coat with the remaining sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes until medium rare. Allow to rest before slicing into 6 equal rounds.
Presentation
Place three overlapping rounds from the eye on each serving plate and arrange 3 rib bones next to the them. Serve immediately with Sautéed Baby Vegetables (see separate recipe).Wine Recommendation
Strong flavors call for big wines. Look for big clarets (the wines from Bordeaux), the Bordeaux-style wines now coming from California, or some of the wonderful Australian reds that represent real bargains to accompany this lamb. I especially enjoy Niebaum-Coppola’s Rubicon and Metisse’s Melka from the Napa Valley.
ABOUT THIS RECIPE
This is a truly exciting dish and if you have an afternoon to devote to preparing a memorable dinner then this is the perfect dish. It combines two contrasting flavors, the first derived from the marinade and the second the Romanesco sauce. The presentation is dramatic and people can’t help but be impressed with the complex tastes they’ll discover.