Middle Eastern Style Crusted Rack Of Lamb
From jimrug1 15 years ago
- 35 minutes to make
- Serves 4
This is a wonderful Holiday recipe that will win over those who claim they do not like Lamb. It is colorful and elegant enough for a formal dinner party yet easy enough for an informal get together. At first glance, this recipe may appear to be a little drawn out. Read more However, the Pomegranate Reduction Sauce (minus the butter) and the Mint-Nut crust mixture can be made a day ahead while the Lamb is marinating. It makes for an easy put together the next day. To finish the sauce, simply warm up and whisk in the butter. Hope you enjoy. See less
Ingredients
- 1 Large Spring lamb Rack (2 – 2 ½ lbs.) well trimmed, ribs cleaned (ask your butcher to “French” the rack for you) shopping list
- *************** shopping list
- Marinade: shopping list
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil shopping list
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed, finely chopped shopping list
- 1 Tbls fresh rosemary, finely chopped shopping list
- 1 Tbls fresh mint, finely chopped shopping list
- 1 Tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped shopping list
- ************** shopping list
- Crust: shopping list
- 1 ½ cups fresh mint shopping list
- ¼ cup pistachio nuts (natural) toasted shopping list
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted shopping list
- 2 Tbls fresh lemon juice shopping list
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed, finely chopped shopping list
- ¾ Tsp salt shopping list
- ½ Tsp freshly ground black pepper shopping list
- ½ cup Japanese panko bread crumbs shopping list
- ********************* shopping list
- pomegranate-Port Reduction shopping list
- 2 cups (drinkable) red wine(Pinot or Merlot work well) shopping list
- 1 cup Ruby port wine shopping list
- 3 Tbls pomegranate molasses shopping list
- 2 Tbls sugar shopping list
- 2 Tbls chilled butter, cut into ½ inch cubes. shopping list
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste shopping list
- ******************** shopping list
- mint sprigs and/or pomegranate seeds for garnish. shopping list
How to make it
- Lay Lamb rack on a large sheet of plastic cling type wrap. Combine Marinade ingredients and coat Lamb completely. Wrap up in the plastic and refrigerate overnight.
- **********************
- For the Crust: (1 Day Ahead)
- In a processor, combine all the crust ingredients except the Panko Bread crumbs. Pulse until finely chopped but not mushy. Set aside.
- Tip: If the mixture is too dry or too wet, it will not stick well to the Lamb. It should barely clump together when pressed between your fingers. If too dry, mix in a small amount of Olive oil. If too wet, sprinkle with a little corn starch until it returns to the proper consistency.
- ***********************
- Pomegranate Reduction Sauce: (1 Day Ahead. Don't Add the Butter)
- Place the 2 cups of wine and cup of port in a medium saucepan and boil until it’s reduced to one cup. Whisk in the pomegranate molasses and sugar. Whisk in cold butter just before serving and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Note: If made ahead of time, on the day of.... warm sauce and whisk in Butter)
- ***********************
- Lamb:
- Preheat Oven to 450 Degrees
- Remove Lamb from the fridge 30 – 45 mins before cooking. Scrape or wipe off as much of the marinade as possible.
- Heat 2 Tbls Olive Oil in a heavy skillet to almost smoking. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and sear, fat side down, until it’s golden brown. ( about 5 minutes.) Remove from pan. Let cool slightly. Use paper towels to pat as dry as possible.
- With a paper towel, blot up the excess oil in the pan and deglaze the pan with ½ cup of red wine. Reduce to about 2 Tbls. and whisk into the Pomegranate Reduction Sauce.
- Spread Mint-Nut mixture evenly over fat side and ends of Lamb. Top with Panko crumbs pressing lightly so they will adhere.
- Place Lamb fat side up in a shallow roasting pan fitted with a rack. Roast Lamb until an instant-read thermometer inserted into side registers 120 degress F. for rare/medium rare (about 15 minutes). (If , like me, some of your guests like Lamb a little more rare, pull the rack out at around 115 degrees) 135 degrees after resting will give you a nice medium rare.
- Transfer to a work surface and let rest 10 minutes. Cut rack in-between the bones into double or single chops. While cutting be careful not to destroy the crust.
- ****************
- To Serve:
- Drizzle the Pomegranate Reduction Sauce in a “playful pattern” on 4 plates. Fan out the crusted chops on top of the sauce. Drizzle a little of the sauce on top.
- Garnish with Mint Sprigs and Pomegranate Seeds.
The Rating
Reviewed by 10 people-
Wow Jim, This Does Sound Awsome! Gotta Try This One Real Soon, Love Lamb.
goblue434
in Anniston loved it
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A beautiful dish that wins ME over, and lamb is my favorite earth-walking meat. Absolutely wonderful.
Boof
boofie
in Salt Lake City loved it
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Oh my goodness, Jim hon. I have no words to say how delightful, delicious and elegant this would be. I love everything about it. Everything. High scores - and count my speechlessness and salivating as a sign of complete adoration.
Uhhh,...more
lunasea
in Orlando loved it
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