ROASTED FRENCHED RACK OF LAMB

Last weekend my husband and I threw a dinner party for 8 of our friends. I wanted to make some healthy side dishes to complement savory lamb chops. It was a success – the lamb chops came out perfectly cooked and with a lot of nice flavors. My husband was in charge for the lamb chops and I was so impressed that I had to share his recipe with you.

I served the lamb chops with butternut squash radicchio salad, kale salad with homemade Caesar salad dressing, spicy roasted chickpeas, and whole-wheat bulgur with red onion cilantro vinegar dressing.

We made 2 frenched (i.e., fat trimmed off) racks of lambs (8 ribs per rack), which provided 2 ribs for each person.

INGREDIENTS (8 servings):

• 2 frenched racks of lamb
• 1 tablespoon high heat cooking oil such as sunflower oil or canola oil
• Salt and pepper

MARINADE INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Take lamb out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before cooking.
2. Prepare the marinade by mixing the ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. Preheat the oven on roast at 400 ⁰F.
4. In the meantime, heat a 12” thick-bottom frying pan (or two) on high heat for at least 2 minutes, and then add high-heat cooking oil to the pan.
5. Pat the rack(s) dry and then rub with salt and pepper.  Once the oil is hot, add the rack to the pan, with the fat side facing down. Sear for about 5 minutes. Flip the rack(s) over and sear for another 2 minutes. Try not to move the rack in the pan while searing, and do not sear the sides.
6. Transfer the rack(s) to a small roasting pan, and liberally rub with the marinade.
7. Set the pan in the oven on the center rack with the fat side up and cook for around 15 minutes (the internal temperature should range from 130 to 140 ⁰F for medium-rare lamb chops).
8. Take the rack(s) out of the oven, place on a cutting board, and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the racks to rest under foil for about 10 minutes. It is critical not to cut the meat until they have rested.
9. After 10 minutes, remove the foil, and cut between each rib of the rack to create chops. Save pan drippings in a bowl to pour over the individual chops or over side dishes such as rice or bulgur wheat.

Danish version

GRILLEDE LAMMEKOTELETTER (8 personer)

Forleden weekend holdt min mand og jeg en middagsfest for 6 af vores venner. Jeg besluttede mig for at lave et par sunde sideretter som skulle serveres med et par krydrede lammekoteletter. Det var en succes – lammekoteletter kom ud perfekt stegte. Min mand stod i spidsen for lammekoteletter og han gjorde det så godt at jeg ikke kunne andet end at dele opskriften med jer. Jeg serverede lammekoteletterne med butternut squash og radicchio salat, grønkål salat med hjemmelavet cæsar dressing, stegte krydrede kikærter og bulgur med rødløg og koriander eddike dressing.

Vi lavede 2 rækker lammekoteletter (hvoraf det værste fedt er trimmet af) nok til 2 koteletter per person.

INGREDIENSER:

• 2 rækker lammekoteletter (8 koteletter i hver række)
• 1 spsk solsikke olie eller rapsolie
• Salt og peber

MARINADE INGREDIENSER:

• 2 spsk finthakket frisk rosmarin
• 1 spsk finthakket frisk timian
• 1/4 kop hakket bredbladet persille,
• 3 spsk ekstra jomfru olivenolie
• 15 g usaltet smør
• 1/2 tsk salt
• 1/2 tsk friskkværnet sort peber
• 3 fed hakket hvidløg

TILBEREDNING:

1. Tag lammekoteletterne ud af køleskabet 20-30 minutter før tilberedning.
2. Tilbered marinaden ved at blande ingredienserne sammen i en lille skål.
3. Forvarm ovnen på grill funktionen på 205 ⁰C.
4. I mellemtiden, varm en stor tykbundet stegepande ved høj varme i mindst 2 minutter, og tilføj derefter olien på panden.
5. Tør lammekoteletter fri for vand/fugt og gnid derefter kødet godt ind med salt og peber. Når olien er varm, overfør lammekoteletterne på panden, med fedtsiden nedad. Steg i ca 5 minutter. Vend steg den anden side i yderligere 2 minutter. (Steg lammene uden at flytte dem for meget på panden). Læg rækken af lammekoteletter på en bradepande og gnid marinaden på kødet.
6. Sæt bradepanden i midten af ovnen med fedtsiden opad og grill i ca. 15 minutter (Den indre temperatur skal ligge imellem 54 ⁰C – 60 ⁰C for mellem røde/rosa lammekoteletter).
7. Tag koteletterne ud af ovnen og læg dem på et skærebræt. Dæk med aluminiumsfolie og lad koteletterne hvile under folien i ca 10 minutter. Det er vigtigt ikke at skære kødet, indtil de har fået lov til at hvile sig.
8. Efter 10 minutter, fjern folien og skær imellemt hvert ribben. Gem stegeskyen i en skål til at hælde over de enkelte koteletter eller side retter som ris eller bulgur.