Grilled New Zealand Lamb Rack Recipes

GRILLED NEW ZEALAND LAMB RACK WITH ASIAN RATATOUILLE, SHOESTRING POTATOES, AND ROASTED GARLIC INFUSED JUS

Steps:

• In a small dry skillet, heat the peppercorns over medium heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Quickly grind the peppercorns just until broken up. In a large bowl, add the ground peppercorns, mustard, soy sauce, thyme, garlic, shallots, and oil. Mix, add the racks, and turn to coat them. Marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, at least eight hours or better, overnight.
• Prepare an outdoor grill, or preheat the broiler. Season the lamb with the salt and ground pepper and grill over high heat, or broil turning once, until brown and crispy, 12 to 15 minutes for medium-rare.
• Cut each cooked rack in half, and arrange so that the bones of the halves are interlaced. Alternatively, cut the racks into double chops.
• Place a mound of the Asian Ratatouille on a large platter and stand the racks or chops against it. Place a small amount of the Citrus Fennel next to the chops. Sauce with the Garlic Jus and drizzle everything with the Fennel Oil. Place the Shoestring Potatoes on top of the lamb and finish with the tomatoes and the chives.
• Place the eggplant, zucchini, and squash in 3 separate pans. Season with salt and let rest for 1 hour to allow the moisture to be released. Pat the vegetables dry. Prepare a saute pan coated with 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add 1/2-teaspoon garlic, 1/2-teaspoon ginger, and the eggplant and saute until the eggplant is golden brown. Season with ground black pepper. Set aside. Repeat this process for both the zucchini and the squash. Then in a saute pan over medium high heat, cook the onion, remaining garlic, and ginger for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and thyme and continue to cook for another 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Add the eggplant, zucchini, squash, Thai basil, basil, and soy sauce. Adjust the seasonings, being careful not to over salt, as the julienned vegetables received salt in the preliminary steps.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the fennel, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, canola oil, shallots. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the oil, and prepared fennel seeds and turmeric. Let stand 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare an ovenproof saute pan over high heat. Add the oil, shallots, and garlic. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 10 minutes, turning occasionally to prevent burning. Remove the pan from the oven and return to the medium heat on the stove-top. Deglaze the pan with the wine, the balsamic vinegar, and Chinese vinegar, and then, reduce. Add the chicken stock, thyme, and further reduce by 1/2. Season the reduced sauce and then strain to remove the garlic and shallots.
• Julienne the potatoes or using a sharp knife, cut them into thin strips. Fill a fryer or medium heavy pot 1/3 full with the oil and heat over high heat to 350 degrees F. Add the potatoes to the oil and fry until light brown, about 6 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and keep at room temperature.
• When ready, heat oil to 425 degrees F and re-fry the fries until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

GRILLED RACK OF LAMB WITH MUSTARD CRUST

Steps:

• Mix olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
• Place the whole rack of lamb into a large zip-top bag and pour mustard mixture all over it. Massage the sauce into the meat until fully coated. Place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or up to 6 hours.
• Clean an outdoor grill and preheat for high heat. Lightly oil the grate.
• Remove lamb from the refrigerator and discard marinade. Wrap exposed bones in a layer of aluminum foil to prevent them from burning and flaking.
• Place lamb on the preheated grill over direct heat. Sear the surface briefly, just until a dark brown crust starts to form, about 3 minutes; be careful it doesn't burn. Flip and sear the other side.
• Move onto indirect heat and close the grill. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads at least 120 degrees F (58 degrees C) for medium rare, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer lamb to a serving dish and cover with foil for 5 minutes. Remove all foil and cut into chops to serve.