Lamb Love

I love it! This is a great recipe. I've made lamb several times, often using similar ingredients but this recipe is just put together well. The pan sauce is a must and I froze the leftovers (when defrosted and used again, I will report back). I only photographed the lamb and put a small pool of sauce on the plate so you could see it better.

Rack of Lamb with Herbed Crust

1 half lamb rack -- 8 bones, trimmed of fat, bones frenched
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley -- chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced, or more to taste
1/4 cup dijon mustard -- to 1/3 cup
Pan Sauce:
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup celery -- diced
1/4 cup onions -- diced
1/4 cup carrots -- diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups red wine -- divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel. Season all over with kosher salt and pepper. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat so it just covers the bottom of the skillet. Sear the rack on all sides until a brown crust forms. Remove from the skillet and place in a dish to cool.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Have ready a sided baking sheet with a rack set on top.

In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, parsley and garlic. When the lamb has cooled, rub all the meat sides with a coating of dijon mustard. Use more as needed so the bread crumb mixture sticks well to it. Press the bread crumbs into the dijon all over the top and meat sides. Press firmly so the bread crumb mixture adheres.

Place the lamb on the rack on the baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 12 minutes per pound depending on the thickness of the meat.

Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before cutting in individual portions.

Recipe Note: If desired, make a pan sauce in advance. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken and beef broth. Reduce by two-thirds and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the celery, onions and carrots. Saute about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and carmelize the vegetables. Add 1 cup red wine and cook until it evaporates. Add the other cup of red wine and cook until it's almost evaporated.

Whisk the cornstarch into the stock and add to the skillet. Stir until the mixture is slightly thickened. Strain it, discard the solids and serve the sauce on the side.

Source:
"Detroit Free Press March 12, 2008 Lamb 101 Recipe"

Changes:
Thyme! Thyme is wonderful with lamb. I used thyme in my bread crumb mixture.