Rack Of Baby Lamb On Potatoes With Barley, Wild Mushrooms

By á-170456

Ingredients

• MARINADE:
• 2 racks lamb - (abt 1 lb ea)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• SAUCE:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion coarsely chopped
• 1 carrot peeled, and coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup lamb stock
• 3 cups chicken stock preferably homemade
• 1/2 cup uncooked barley
• 1 tablespoon roasted garlic
• 1/4 cup finely-diced carrot
• POTATOES AND MUSHROOMS:
• 4 small red new potatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups wild mushrooms (such as chantrelles, morels, or oyster mushrooms)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon finely-minced shallot
• OVEN ROASTED PLUM TOMATOES:
• 4 plum tomatoes
• Olive oil as needed
• Salt to taste
• 4 basil leaves (optional)

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Trim the lamb of fat and split each rack in two, leaving the bones in place.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, mustard, and pepper. Add the garlic and thyme. Rub the lamb with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To Make The Sauce: In a 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, chopped carrot, and celery. Cook until the vegetables begin to brown. Add the wine, tomato paste, and lamb and chicken stocks. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, occasionally skimming the foam off the top.

Strain the sauce and set aside.

Put the barley in a strainer and rinse well under cold running water. Place in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover the barley by a depth of 3 inches. Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, or until the barley is tender. Drain.

Add the cooked barley and roasted garlic to the lamb sauce.

In a small saucepan, bring about 2 cups of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the diced carrot for about 3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and add to the sauce.

To Prepare The Potatoes And Mushrooms: Place 4 washed and unpeeled new potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain, cool and slice the potatoes 1/4-inch thick.

In a saute pan, saute the potato slices in oil until they are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.

Trim any coarse or dirty stems off the mushrooms and butter. Saute until the mushrooms are crisp. Add the shallots and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 30 seconds more, remove the mushrooms from pan, and keep warm.

To Cook The Lamb: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roast the lam racks for about 10 minutes (for medium-rare). Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

To Serve: Place potatoes and mushrooms in a mound in the center of each of four warm serving plates. Lay one whole roasted tomato on top.

Run a sharp knife between the bones of the lamb rack and slice off four chops. Remove the rest of the meat from the bone and slice into 1/2-inch thick medallions. Place the medallions around the potatoes and mushrooms and lay a single whole chop, bone up, against the roasted tomato.

Spoon the hot barley sauce around the plate and serve immediately.

For The Oven Roasted Plum Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

using a sharp-tipped paring knife, core the tomatoes. Place in a small bowl and toss with oil and salt. IF desired, stuff a basil leaf into the center of each tomato.

lay the tomatoes on a rack in a small roasting pan and bake for about 4 hours, or until the skins crack and blister. The tomatoes should have a slightly charred appearance.

This recipe yields 4 servings.