Herb Butter Roasted Rack of Australian Lamb with Lamb Jus, Mint Chimichurri, Baby Carrots, Blistered Tomatoes, Pickled Pearl Onions
Recipe courtesy of Eva Barrios, CEC, Executive Chef, Royal Oaks Country Club (Houston, Texas)
Ingredients
- Ingredients for Herb Roasted Rack of Australian Lamb
- Australian rack of lamb - 1 ea., frenched
- herb butter
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- olive oil - 2 Tbsps., for searing
- Ingredients for Herb Butter
- butter - 6 ozs.
- shallot - 1 ea., minced
- thyme - 2 sprigs, chopped
- rosemary - 1 tsp., chopped
- basil - 1 sprig, chopped fine
- Ingredients for Lamb Jus:
- red wine - 1/2 cup
- shallots - 1 medium, sliced
- lamb stock - 1 cup
- lamb demi - 1/2 cup
- thyme - 1 sprig
- parsley - 1 sprig
- rosemary - 1/4 sprig
- cold butter - 3 ozs., cut into small cubes
- Ingredients for Mint Chimichurri:
- mint - 2 cups, fresh, leaves only, packed
- parsley - 1 cup, fresh, leaves only, packed
- garlic - 2 ea., fresh, whole, peeled
- carrots - 2 ozs., peeled, grated
- white wine vinegar - 4 ozs.
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- dried oregano - 1 tsp.
- hot red pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp. (or more to taste)
- extra virgin olive oil - 1.5 cups
- Ingredients for blistered tomatoes
- grape tomatoes - 8 ea.
- extra-virgin olive oil - 1 Tbsp.
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- Ingredients for baby carrots:
- purple carrots - 2 ea., peeled and blanched, cut in half lengthwise
- orange carrots - 3 ea., peeled and blanched, cut in half lengthwise
- yellow carrots - 2 ea., peeled and blanched, cut in half lengthwise
- unsalted butter - 2 ozs.
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- Ingredients for Pickled Pearl Onions
- pearl onions - 6 ea.
- pickling liquid - 1/2 cup
- red wine vinegar - 1/2 cup
- water - 1/2 cup
- salt - 1 tsp.
- sugar - 2 Tbsps.
- Ingredients for Basil Polenta
- polenta - 1 cup
- chicken stock - 3 cups
- basil puree - 2 ozs. (see recipe)
- parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup, grated
- egg yolk - 1 ea.
- unsalted butter - 2 ozs.
- heavy cream - 2 Tbsps.
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- Ingredients for Basil Puree
- basil - 1.5 cups, fresh leaves
- spinach - 1/2 cup, fresh leaves
- extra virgin olive oil - 1 cup
Instructions
Procedure for Herb Roasted Rack of Australian Lamb:
- Season rack of lamb with salt and pepper front and back.
- Place sauté pan on stove on high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- When oil has the consistency of water, it means it is hot to start pan searing the rackof lamb.
- Add lamb in the pan and sear. Add the herb butter.
- With a spoon, baste lamb with herb butter for approximately one minute.
- Turn off heat. Transfer rack of lamb to a 1⁄2 sheet pan or cookie sheet pan.
- Roast lamb until it reaches an internal temperature of 110°F degrees to 115°F degrees to medium rare, 120°F to 125°F degrees for medium. Note: This temperature includes a resting period after cooking.
- When lamb is cooked to desired temperature, pull from oven and transfer to a cool sheet pan and let it rest for 5 to 8 minutes.
- On a cutting board, slice rack of lamb between the bones.
- Season the face of every lamb chop with salt or maldon finishing salt.
- Serve.
Procedure for Herb Butter:
- In a small sauce pan, sautéed shallots in the butter until light brown.
- Add the rest of the butter and let melt.
- Turn off heat and add all the herbs. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Refrigerate.
Procedure for Lamb Jus:
- In a sauce pan at medium heat add red wine, shallots, and herbs. Reduce by 1/3.
- Add the lamb stock and reduce by half.
- Add lamb demi and simmer for 3 minutes or until the sauce coat the back of a spoon.
- Turn off heat.
- Strain sauce through a fine strainer into a new small sauce pan.
- Emulsify cubes of butter into the hot lamb sauce
- Adjust Seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Keep hot.
Procedure:
- Place all ingredients in the blender except the oil. Turn on blender on low speed
- Add the oil into the rest of the ingredients slowly until fully combined.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer to a food safe container. Refrigerate.
Procedure for blistered tomatoes:
- Place sauté pan over stove. Turn heat to high heat.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil
- Oil will be ready when it has the consistency of water.
- Add tomatoes to pan carefully. Blister tomatoes quickly. Transfer to a small dish. 5. Season with salt and black pepper.
Procedure for Baby Carrots:
- Place medium sauté pan on stove. Turn to medium heat.
- Add the butter and let it melt.
- Add the carrots and reheat in the butter slowly.
- Transfer to a serving dish.
- Keep hot.
Procedure for Pickled Pearl Onions:
- In a quart sauce pan, add all the pickling liquid ingredients. Place on the stove and turn the heat to high. Bring liquid to a boil for a minute to two minutes.
- Turn off heat.
- Pour hot liquid into the onions until they are covered.
- Refrigerate.
Procedure for Basil Polenta:
- In a 4 quart sauce pan, add the chicken stock and butter and bring to a boil
- Add the polenta to the chicken stock slowly while whisking.
- When it is all incorporated, keep cooking until of the polenta don’t taste/feel crunchy anymore.
- Keep whisking to prevent from sticking to the pan.
- Add the heavy cream and mix well.
- Add the parmesan cheese and mix well.
- Turn off heat.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Whisk in the egg yolk.
- Transfer polenta into two separate bowls equals amount
- On one bowl, add the basil puree and mix well.
- On a greased 1⁄2 hotel pan- two inch deep, add the basil polenta first and spread evenly with a offset spatula.
- Wait a couple of minutes, and add the other half the polenta over it. Spread evenly and very carefully.
- Cook polenta in a pre-heated oven at 350 F degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Let it cool down completely and refrigerate. Wait an hour before cutting.
- Cut as desired. The goal is to show the two toned polenta cake!
- I cut the cake a perfect square. Rectangles or circles would look lovely as well.
- Reheat in oven or pan seared on a sautéed pan with olive oil for a crispy texture.
- Enjoy!
Procedure for Basil Puree:
- Add basil and spinach in the blender
- Pour oil and puree in blender until smooth
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a food container and cover.
- Use immediately.