Roast Rack of Lamb
- 2 lamb racks, cleaned and frenched, see Cook's Note*
- Salt and pepper
- Serving suggestion: Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke and Salsify Ragout, Mushroom Cream Sauce, recipes follow
- Special equipment: an ovenproof skillet
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Bring the lamb racks to room temperature.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- In an ovenproof skillet sear the lamb over high heat until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Place the skillet directly in the oven on the middle rack and roast for 10 minutes.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and continue roasting for another 15 minutes.
- Allow the lamb to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- *Cook's Note: Ask your butcher to french your lamb racks for you.
- This technique of removing excess meat and fat from the bone area will prevent charring of the bones and will enhance the overall presentation of your dish.
- 1 pound salsify, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces, see Cook's Note**
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and roughly chopped, see Cook's Note*
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh thyme, picked
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Soak salsify in cold water until all ingredients are assembled.
- Divide olive oil between 2 bowls.
- Add Jerusalem artichokes and drained salsify to separate bowls and lightly coat with olive oil.
- Spread and separate on a large baking sheet.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes or until tender.
- Toss together in a bowl with the fresh thyme.
- *Cook's Note: Not truly an artichoke, but a member of the sunflower family.
- It resembles fresh ginger root and has a nutty sweet flavor.
- It is available October through March and may be purchased in specialty produce stores.
- **Cook's Note: A parsnip-shaped vegetable root that is also known as oyster plant.
- Growing season is from June through February.
- Available in Spanish, Italian and Greek food markets.
- Yield: 6 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes
- Cooking Time: 30 minutes
- Mushroom Cream Sauce:
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup dried mushrooms, see Cook's Note*
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, picked
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon truffle oil, see Cook's Note**
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Warm the white wine over low heat in a small stainless steel pan.
- Add the dried mushrooms and re-hydrate.
- In a large skillet melt the butter over medium high heat and saute the shiitake mushrooms, garlic, shallots and thyme.
- Continue cooking until the mushrooms are a golden color.
- Increase the heat to high and add the wine, re-hydrated mushrooms and heavy cream.
- Bring to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and let sauce infuse for at least 1 hour.
- Strain through a fine sieve and warm when ready to serve.
- Add the truffle oil and kosher salt to finish.
- *Cook's Note: Dried Mushrooms may be purchased in specialty food shops.
- **Cook's Note: Truffle Oil may be purchased in specialty food shops.
- Store in a cool, dry place.
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes
- Cooking Time: 1 hour
lamb racks, salt, suggestion, ovenproof skillet
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/roast-rack-of-lamb-recipe0.html (may not work)