American Rack of Lamb with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Toasted Anchovy and Meyer Lemon Crema
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Recipe Provided By
Chef Holly SmithServings
8
Ingredients
- 3 American Lamb racks, frenched, fat cap removed
- 2 oranges, Cara Cara or navel, zested with vegetable peeler
- 4 large sprigs rosemary, needles removed, lightly crushed
- 12 sprigs fresh thyme, lightly crushed by hand
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 20 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
- 1-1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- Unsalted butter, as needed
- Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
- 20 anchovy filets, rough chop
- Piments d’argile or espelette, to taste
- 1 to 2 lemons, juiced
Meyer Lemon Crema:
- 20 Meyer lemon peels (preferably cookers)
- 8 to 10 Meyer lemons, centers only
- Simple syrup, to taste
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup Ligurian olive oil
Directions
For Lamb: Trim excess fat from lamb racks, leaving thin fat cap. In a bowl, combine orange zest, rosemary, thyme, chili flakes, garlic and oil, crushing herbs, zest and garlic lightly to release oils. Rub mixture on racks. Marinate for 24 hours, rotating every 6 hours to ensure best distribution of aromatics.
Remove marinade from lamb. Season lamb generously with salt and lightly with black pepper. On a preheated grill, render and roast fat cap down, turning and continuing to grill to desired doneness; be careful not to burn the bones. Let rest before serving.
For Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Clean and trim Brussels sprouts, cutting 1-1/4 pounds in half, and peeling the remaining 1/4 pound to leaves only. In 2 large heavy-bottomed sauté pans, heat butter and oil together over medium heat. Add halved sprouts; toss and season lightly with salt and cayenne. Arrange cut-side down. Reserve the leaves. Cook over medium-high heat until golden brown. Flip sprouts; continue to cook until tender. Add leaves; toss together with cut roasted sprouts. Cook for 1 minute longer. Pull sprouts to one side of the pan; add additional 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil; divide the garlic and anchovy between the two pans. Stir to combine, letting anchovy and garlic melt together; continue to cook until toasted. Toss to combine. When ready to plate, heat sprouts and adjust seasoning as desired. Add Piments d’Argile/Espelette and finish with lemon juice.
For Meyer Lemon Crema: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine lemon peels with lemon centers. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil; drain. Repeat this process 3 to 4 times until lemons are tender and not bitter. Drain; transfer lemon mixture to blender. Process until smooth. Season with salt; add small amount of simple syrup to balance. While processing, drizzle in up to 1/2 cup oil; adjust seasoning as necessary. Hold at room temperature.
To plate: Place a swoosh of Meyer Lemon Crema with Brussels Sprouts scattered alongside. Cut the racks into chops and plate 2 or 3 chops per guest. Garnish with preserved Cara Cara and Meyer Lemon if desired.
