Recipe courtesy of David Hackett
Roasted Rack of Lamb with Sauce Romesco
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 2 servings
- Total: 1 hr 15 min
- Active: 50 min
Ingredients
Lamb:
1 cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for searing
1 ounce crushed whole fennel seeds
1 ounce finely chopped fresh thyme
2 domestic lamb racks, 3 bones each, cleaned and frenched
Sauce Romesco:
8 cloves garlic
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds
1/4 cup hazelnuts
2 slices stale brioche bread
2 vine-ripe medium tomatoes, quartered
2 piquillo peppers
2 large roasted red peppers
1/2 cup red wine or sherry wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Couscous:
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 pinch saffron
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup couscous
Zucchini:
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 clove garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garbanzo beans, cooked, for garnish
Directions
- For the lamb: Whisk together 1 cup oil, the fennel seeds and thyme. Add the lamb to the marinade and let sit until ready to cook.
- For the romesco sauce: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Roast the garlic by placing the cloves on a baking sheet and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top. Roast until the garlic is soft, 20 minutes. Toast the almonds and hazelnuts in a frying pan. Remove and set aside. Pour a few tablespoons of the olive oil into a frying pan and quickly fry the bread until both sides are browned. Remove and let cool on a plate or paper towel. Saute the tomatoes in the same pan, adding oil if needed, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Once the bread is cool, add to a food processor with the nuts and tomatoes and blend. Add the roasted garlic along with the piquillo and roasted peppers and process on high for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and pepper flakes. While the processor is running, slowly drizzle in the remaining oil. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- For cooking the lamb: Turn the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat. Sear the rack of lamb for 1 to 2 minutes on all sides. Set aside for a few minutes, and cover the ends of the bones with foil to prevent charring. Arrange the rack bone-side down in the skillet. Roast the lamb for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the degree of doneness you want, checking the temperature with a meat thermometer. Let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes, loosely covered.
- For the couscous: Bring the chicken stock to a boil, and then add the saffron and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the hot stock over the couscous, cover and let stand for 10 minutes prior to serving.
- For the zucchini: Saute the zucchini with the garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, carve each rack between the bone into 3 pieces and arrange vertically with the romesco sauce underneath. Stack the zucchini between lamb with the couscous on the side. Garnish with garbanzo beans.