Provencal Rack of Lamb
Difficulty Level Easy
Neither of my parents liked lamb so I was an adult before I tasted it. It was early on in my relationship with my husband and he had invited me for dinner in his home for the first time. I had a little moment of panic when I discovered lamb was on the menu, assuming that I didn't like it either, but I loved it instantly. It turns out that it was, in fact, the only thing my husband knew how to cook.
Rack of lamb is expensive, so you really want to do it right. If you want a very impressive Valentine's dinner that is so easy that even my husband could cook it, this is the one for you. The beauty of this is that the potatoes and lamb cook together, so there is no juggling lots of pots and pans for side dishes and trying to time everything to be ready at the same time.
The recipe calls for roasted tomatoes, but this being Toronto, there are no local fresh tomatoes to be had in February. In keeping with the provencal seasonings, I roasted an eggplant instead. I just sliced it with the skin on and lightly salted it and let it sit for 15 minutes then wiped the liquid off with a paper towel. Then I drizzled it with the olive oil and the garlic mixture and put it in the oven about 20 minutes before the lamb and potatoes went in. You could also use zucchini if you don't like eggplant, but it would need about 10 minutes less to cook.
If you can, it's worth it to buy organic lamb for this dish. The difference in taste that organic makes, really stands out here. Don't forget that organic meat usually has a greater density and may take a few more minutes to cook than regular lamb. The meat thermometer is especially useful then.
INGREDIENTS
| 2 | garlic cloves |
| 2 teaspoons | chopped thyme |
| 1 teaspoon | chopped rosemary |
| 3 tablespoons | olive oil, divided |
| 2 medium | tomatoes, halved |
| 1 (1‑pound) | frenched rack of lamb (4 to 8 chops, depending on size), cut in half |
| 2 medium | shallots, thinly sliced (1/3 cup) |
| 2 medium | boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick |
| 2 tablespoons | water |
PREPARATION:
- Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
- Mince and mash garlic to a paste with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir together with herbs and 1 tablespoon oil.
- Put tomatoes cut sides up in an oiled small baking dish and drizzle with a third of garlic mixture. Roast until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pat lamb dry and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown lamb on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and discard oil from skillet.
- Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet over medium heat and cook shallots and potatoes, stirring occasionally, until edges are browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in water and half of remaining garlic mixture and remove from heat. Rub remaining garlic mixture on fat side of lamb racks. Arrange lamb over potatoes and roast in oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat (do not touch bone) registers 130°F for medium-rare, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Let stand, loosely covered, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with tomatoes.