The
inspiration for this Rack of Lamb with
Mustard Sauce came from a Martha Steward recipe I found online – but I've
said I'm 'channelling' her because, of course, I didn't do it as per her
recipe.
What you'll
need:
Rack of
lamb – preferably spring lamb
Oil for
searing
Salt and
pepper
For the
sauce:
White wine –
I used a sauvignon blanc
Chicken
stock – I used a concentrated pase
Dijon
Mustard
Hot English
Mustard
Maple Syrup
Pomegranate
juice
Salt/pepper
Cream
Martha's
recipe called for pomegranate molasses – which I didn't have but I substituted
the pomegranate juice and the maple syrup.
The first
step in cooking the lamb is what will make the most difference to the outcome –
let it come to room temperature before
cooking – if your fridge is really cold like mine this could take over an hour.
Heat your
oven to a moderate to low temperature.
Then heat a
pan up til it is smoking, add the oil and sear the lamb on both sides until it
has a nice colour – about 1 minute on each side should do it. Make sure you've got your extractor on or
your smoke alarms will go off!
Pop the
lamb into a roasting pan with a smidgen of the wine, cover loosely with foil
and cook it in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes depending how pink you like
it.
While this
is cooking, pour any excess oil out of your pan and put it back on the heat
(moderate this time) and add your white wine – about a quarter of a cup. Stir with a wooden spoon so all the brown
bits stuck on the bottom come off into the sauce.
Add in your
chicken stock and mustard. Whisk it
while adding so that there are no lumps.
Add a couple of teaspoons of maple syrup and about ½ a small box of
pomegranate juice (be careful to taste as you go because it is quite
sour). Then simmer it quite quickly so
that the sauce reduces to a thick glossiness.
Take it off the heat, taste to see what salt and pepper is needed. If it's too sour add more maple syrup. If it's too sweet add more pomegranate juice. Finish with a good splash of cream and stir
through.
The
resulting lamb was gloriously tender and the sauce was unctuous – tasting not
of mustard or of pomegranates but as something in its own right.
That is one nice piece of meat! I want those for my dinner :)
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