Mustard and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

Christmas is right around the corner. Don't have much time to put an elegant meal on the table? Consider making a Rack of lamb! It's easy, delicious, and can be on the table in 20 minutes, start to finish. If you've had lamb in the past and thought it was tough or gamey tasting, it was probably cooked incorrectly or was it was old.

See how nice and rosy pink these are? That's what you want.

Let's start with what to buy.

Look for "Frenched" lamb racks at the grocery store or Sam's or Costco. They are generally packaged in a vacuum sealed bag. Most stores have them on sale right now for about $10.00 a pound. If you shop at places like Whole Foods, you'll pay about $20.00 a pound.

Figure about 3 ribs per person, unless you have teenagers in the house. In that case, I would probably make a turkey as well. Or a ham. Or both.

See that big layer of fat on the top? Unlike pork fat, it does not taste good and will ruin the flavor of the rack if left on.

Take a super sharp knife and cut it off.

Get as much of the fat off as you can without cutting into the meat.

Now, get yourself some fresh herbs. Always use rosemary with lamb. They just belong together. I used fresh parsley as well. I would have used fresh thyme, but I didn't have any. Mine died. It made me cry.

Strip the rosemary needles backwards, from top to bottom, leaving the stems bare. Chop them very finely, or it will feel like you're eating sticks. Chop the parsley finely, as well. Put the herbs in a small bowl.

I admit it. Sometimes I cheat and use garlic out of a jar rather than chopping my own. Please forgive me, Julia.

Take a big spoonful and add it to the chopped herbs.

Get out the Dijon mustard.

Add a big tablespoon of the Dijon to the garlic and herb bowl.

Stir it up and set aside.

Now get out your cast iron skillet, add about 2 Tablespoons of Extra LIGHT, not extra virgin, olive oil. You want to use an oil with a high smoking point, as you're going to sear these babies in a smokin' hot skillet. You could also use peanut or avocado oil, but they're more expensive, and not really worth the $$$.

Put the skillet over high heat. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees (F). Open the windows and turn on the fans.

Season up the lamb. Start by pouring on some extra light olive oil, both sides.

Sprinkle both sides with Kosher salt.

And fresh ground pepper.

When your skillet is smokin' hot, brown the lamb.

Start meaty side down. Don't touch it, don't move it for 2 minutes. Using tongs, lift the rack so you can see if it is a beautiful, deep brown color. If not, put it back down. If it's browned well, hold the lamb, bones up, to sear the top of the rack.

Sear all sides until brown. I don't know why I can't flip this pic.

O.K. Take the skillet off of the stove. Smear the mustard herb paste all over the rack.

Keep the lamb in the same skillet. Stick a meat thermometer in the center of the lamb rack. Yes. You must use a meat thermometer. Because I said so. And you'll be sorry if you don't. I like the thermometer that has a probe on one end, a long wire that feeds out of the oven door, and the readout on the end. That way, I can see what the meat temp is without opening the oven.

Put the skillet in the hot oven.

The second the meat thermometer reads 120 degrees, take the lamb out of the oven, remove it from the skillet, and place it on a cutting board, covered.

I use a big mixing bowl. Let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes. It will continue to cook.

After about 5 minutes, the temp has risen to 124 degrees.

After about 10 minutes, the temp has risen to 135 degrees. Take the bowl off, and let sit 2 more minutes.

Slice lamb between each bone to make ribs.

Spoon excess paste over lamb and serve.

If you want to take this over the top, heat up a jar of mango chutney or hot plum chipotle sauce, put it in a serving vessel, and pass around the table.

Ingredients:

1 or 2 Frenched racks of lamb

Extra light olive oil

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

3-4 sprigs each fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley, chopped very fine

1 big tsp finely minced garlic

1 big Tbls Dijon mustard
1 cast iron skillet

1 meat thermometer

Process:

Remove fat cap from lamb.

Season with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Make the herb paste:

Put herbs, garlic, and mustard in a bowl. Mix it up with a fork and set aside.

Put about 2 Tbls olive oil in the skillet.

Heat the skillet on high until smoking.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Brown lamb on all sides.

Remove from stove and coat the lamb rack with herb paste.

Insert the meat thermometer into the center of the lamb.

Roast at 425 until the meat thermometer registers 120 degrees.

Remove from oven and put the lamb rack on a cutting board.

Cover and rest at least 10 minutes.

Slice between the bones.

Serve with warmed Mango chutney or Hot Plum Chipotle sauce.

Menu idea:

Rack of lamb

Scalloped potatoes

Roasted brussel sprouts

Green salad with tart apples, spiced pecans, and blue cheese crumbles

Dessert of your choice

7 Deadly Zins red zinfandel

Super Fast Scalloped Potatoes

It has been way too long since I've posted! That whole flying thing puts a hold on my blog. Well, wait no longer. Today we're going over the top with scalloped potatoes. (Just in time for Christmas).

Here's what you need:

3 pounds Russet potatoes

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk (I didn't have any, so I subbed half and half. Oh darn).

1- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

8 ounces Gruyere cheese

1 stick butter (Not margarine. Never. Ever. Ever).

4-6 fresh Thyme sprigs, tied with string

Nutmeg, freshly grated

Salt and Pepper

Now, don't go and substitute skim milk for the heavy cream. It won't work, and your potatoes will be runny and thin. And icky.

Heat up the cream and milk in a medium saucepan. Heat it just to a simmer. Don't let it boil. Toss in the thyme bundle.

Add in the garlic cloves and stick of butter. (Not margarine. Never. Ever. Ever.) Grate in some fresh nutmeg. If you don't have any fresh nutmeg nuts, add about a teaspoon of pre-ground from a jar. If your nutmeg is over a year old, it won't have good flavor. Season the cream mixture with Kosher salt (at least 2 tsp) and pepper.

 While the cream mixture is heating up, peel the potatoes. With my "Miracle Peeler", I was able to peel a potato in 20 seconds flat. I timed myself.

Now, get out your food processor and put the slicing blade in. If you don't have one, use a mandoline. You want nice, thin, even slices. It took less than 30 seconds to slice 3 pounds of potatoes.

Now, change out the blade to the grating disc, and grate the cheese. (5 seconds)

Butter a large casserole dish. I use the wrapper from the stick of butter. Lay out 1/3 of the potato slices so they overlap slightly. After fishing out the thyme bundle, add enough of the cream to cover the potatoes.

Top with 1/3 of the cheese.

Top with two more layers of potatoes, cheese and sauce.

Sprinkle with a bit more nutmeg and bake at 375 degrees (F) until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, about 50 minutes.

Serve as is, or garnish with chopped green onions and bacon crumbles. It is Christmas, after all.

Summary:

Ingredients:

3 pounds Russet potatoes

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1 stick butter

8 oz Gruyere cheese, grated

1-2 cloves garlic

nutmeg

salt and pepper

Procedure:

Heat milk, cream, butter to a simmer.

Add Thyme, 1 tsp nutmeg and garlic to milk. Season with salt and pepper.

Peel the potatoes.

Slice potatoes with a food processor or mandoline, thinly and evenly.

Butter a large casserole dish.

Lay 1/3 of the potatoes, overlapping slightly, in dish.

Cover with 1/3 of the cream mixture and 1/3 of the cheese.

Repeat with 2 more layers of potatoes, cream, and cheese.

Sprinkle with grated nutmeg.

Bake @ 375 about 50 minutes, until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

Rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Out Flying

Hey, Readers,
I'm out on the road again, didn't bring my camera, have no kitchen in hotels, so no new posts. My food pics are trapped in my home computer.
However, I did make a yummy wine braised pot roast last week, then used the leftovers to make a Linguine Bolognese. Same ingredients, different venue.
Wine Braised Pot Roast
1 four to 6 pound pound boneless chuck roast
5 carrots, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and halved or quartered
5 (or so) cloves garlic
(1) 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken or beef stock (homemade, if you have it)
olive oil
2 cups Red wine
3 Tbls flour
2 Tbls butter
Bouquet garni: Tie together
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1. Put 2 Tbls light olive oil in a big Dutch oven. Heat over medium/high heat.
2. Season roast on both sides with Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, and dust with flour.
3. Brown the roast in hot olive oil ,about 5 minutes each side. Ensure that the roast is a dark brown color on all sides.
4. Remove roast from pot to a plate.
5. Add 2 Tbls olive oil to pot, along with carrots, celery, mushrooms, and onion. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until Carrots are somewhat tender, about 10- 15 minutes.
6. Remove veg from pot. 
7. Whisk in 2 cups red wine, scraping off all of the browned bits off the sides and bottom of the pot.
8. Put roast and veg back into the pot.
9. Add the tomatoes and broth. Stir. 
10. Throw in the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
    
11. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours - 3 hours
12. Turn oven down to 200 degrees and simmer until ready to eat.
13. Remove roast , veg, and bouquet garni from pot.
    
14. Rest roast, covered, 20 minutes, then slice.
15. To thicken sauce, add 2 Tbls flour to 2 Tbls softened butter. Mix into a smooth paste.
16. Add butter paste to simmering sauce and whisk in. Bring to a boil, then drop heat to simmer. 
17. Ladel sauce over roast, and serve extra on the side.
18. This is wonderful with garlic mashed potatoes.
    

Brussel Sprouts Revisited

If you're like me, most of the Brussel sprouts you've had in your life have been boiled to death and have that "funky cabbage" smell. Not delish. These sprouts are no such thing. We're roasting them with shallots and topping them with bacon. Now that's delish!

Here's what you need: 1 bag of brussel Sprouts, or if you're buying from the produce bin, about 1 pound. I got these at Costco. They were super cheap and looked great. 2 shallots and 4 slices bacon.

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the bacon slices on a rack in a foil covered sheet pan. I made more than 4 slices because I was also making twice baked potatoes, and because hub H always steals a slice or two. Put the pan in the oven and roast until the bacon is crisp and brown. Mine took exactly 16 minutes.

While the bacon is cooking, start prepping the sprouts. Give them a good wash under cold water. Place them on a clean towel to dry. Wet sprouts won't roast well.  Remove the bacon from the oven and pour off the fat, leaving a thin coat of fat on the foil.

Trim off the little brown stems on the bottom, and take off any brown leaves. Place them, cut side down on foil lined pan. Slice up the shallots into thin rings and scatter them over the sprouts. Drizzle some olive oil over the top, and season with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Put them in the same 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes. When they are fork tender, they're ready. See how they have beautiful brown leaves? That's carmelization. Brown food is good.

Now, take your bacon and crumble it over the top. Or cut in small pieces with a big knife. Depends on whether you want to lick your fingers.

Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Enjoy!

Summary:

Wash and dry 1 pound sprouts.

Roast bacon slices in a 425 degree oven until brown and crisp. About 15-20 minutes.

Trim up the sprouts so they're pretty.

Pour the fat out of the bacon pan, but do not clean the pan.

Place sprouts, cut side down into same pan.

Slice 2 shallots and put them on in the pan.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Roast @ 425 for about 20 minutes, until tender.

Sprinkle bacon crumbles on top.

Bargain Beef

For all of you that have a "Sunflower Market" in your town, they have a great deal on beef roasts this week. Top round, rump, and boneless chuck are buy one get one free. Might be a good time to pick up a top round and make the "slow roasted top round" recipe. I'm planning on a pot roast, (not your Grandma's), later on in the week. Stay tuned.

Flu Fighter Super Soup

You must know by now that I love soup. This is one of my hearty winter favorites, chock full of vitamins, iron, antioxidants, and FLAVOR! You must make this. You'll be sorry if you don't. Your immune system, and your local E.R. will thank you.

Start with the veg. Chop 1 onion, 4 stalks celery, 3 large carrots, 1 large Zucchini, and 5 cloves garlic. Tie up 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 sprigs fresh parsley, and about 6 leaves sage, (bouquet garni). Put it all neatly on a cutting board. It must be neat. I like things in order.

Grab some fresh spinach out of the fridge, about 4-6 cups, packed.

From the freezer: 1 pound Sweet Italian sausage. If you have links, take the casing off. I buy in bulk and freeze in one pound packs.

Out of the pantry: 1 pound small pasta, any kind. I used Penne because it was in the pantry, open, and needed to be used. I also used some Macaroni from a mac n' cheese box.

You'll also need 1 can of beans, any kind, one box of chicken stock, one box of beef broth, or one or the other,  and one 28 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. If you don't have fire roasted, no big deal. Use what you have.

Start by putting about 2 Tbls olive oil in a Dutch oven or a big pot.

Put it over medium/high heat. Add the Italian sausage. Brown it up.

Take it out of the pot. If there is no oil/fat left in the pot, add a drizzle of olive oil, then put the celery and carrots in the pot. The reason I didn't add the onion at this point is because I don't want to crowd the pot. We're after carmelization here. You get that from heat directly on the surface of the veg. Cook over medium/high heat about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pot.

Put the onions in the pot. See that dark stuff stuck to the sides of the pot? That's flavor, baby. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Throw the garlic in the pot. Cook a few minutes more. Remove from the pot.

Now, we want every bit of that flavor (fond) stuck to the sides of the pot.

So, we'll add some white wine, about 3/4 to 1 cup, and whisk like crazy.

Tilt the pot to allow the wine to reach the fond while you whisk.

This is what the pot should look like after you have deglazed the pot. You don't need to go the gym to work your arms. Just whisk!

Now, reduce this to about half. You don't want the soup to taste like wine. Well, maybe you do, but that's not what I'm after here. Add all of the sauteed veg and the sausage back into the pot, along with both boxes of stock, and the can of undrained tomatoes.

Throw in the bouquet garni. If you don't have fresh herbs, don't sweat it. Use dry. Just be sure to chop the rosemary very finely, or it feels like you're eating sticks. Just throw them in the pot.

O.K., here's the secret to this fantastic tasting soup: the rind of a wedge of Parmesan cheese. When only the rind of the wedge is left, put it in the freezer, and add it to this soup.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer until the carrots are tender, not mushy. Bite into one. If it has just a bit of crunch left, it's time to add the rest

of the ingredients.

Start with the spinach. Throw it in.

Stir it up. Bring the soup to a boil, then add the pasta. Return to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the broccoli and zucchini to the soup. The pasta takes 10-12 minutes to cook. Just before serving, add the drained and rinsed beans.

Fish out the bouquet garni and Parm rind. Serve with grated Parmesan on top, and crusty, hearty bread.

And imagine your immune system working in over drive because of the delicious fuel you've given it.

Summary:

Brown 1 lb Sweet Italian sausage in 2 Tbls olive oil. Remove from pot.

Saute 3 chopped carrots and 4 stalks chopped celery in same pot until softened. Add olive oil if pot is dry. Remove from pot.

Saute 1 diced onion in same pot. Add 5 cloves chopped garlic after onion has sauteed for 5 minutes. Cook over med/high another 5 minutes. Remove from pot.

Deglaze pot with 1 cup white wine, scraping up all the browned bits on the side and bottom of the pan. Cook down to half volume.

Add sausage and sauteed veg back to pot.

Add (1) 28 oz can diced tomatoes and 1 box each beef and chicken stock.

Add the bouquet garni.

Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer until carrot is almost done.

Add spinach.

Bring to a boil, then add pasta.

Bring to a boil, then add broccoli and zucchini.

Cook about 10 minutes, until pasta is done.

Add drained and rinsed beans.

Fish out bouquet garni and Parm rind.