RACK OF LAMB w/FAVAS & RSTD GARLIC CUSTARD

By BobD

Ingredients

• THE LAMB AND SAUCE:
• 2 racks of lamb, trimmed and Frenched (ask your butcher to do this), trimmings reserved
• 2 1/2 pounds meaty lamb bones (like shoulder)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 bottle dry red wine
• 1 head of garlic, halved
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 cups cooked fresh fava or white beans
• THE CUSTARD:
• 2 medium heads of garlic, halved lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon water
• 5 eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from events.nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

At least 1 day before serving, make the lamb sauce: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the lamb trimmings and bones in a large roasting pan and roast, turning twice, until lightly browned, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the bones, the wine and enough water to cover the bones by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skim and add the garlic, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and caraway seeds. Reduce the heat and simmer 4 hours.

Strain broth and refrigerate overnight. Scrape off and discard the fat. Place the broth in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 45 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Reheat before serving.

To make the custard, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the garlic in a small baking dish, drizzle with the olive oil and season with a little salt to taste and pepper. Add the water to the pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until soft, about 1 hour. When the garlic cloves are cool enough to handle, squeeze them from the skin and place in a food processor with the eggs and the cream. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Season with the 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt and the pepper.

Ladle the garlic mixture into 6 6-ounce ramekins and place the ramekins in a roasting pan. Pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins and bake until set, about 50 minutes. Reheat before serving. (Custards can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.)

To make the lamb, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to season both racks. Heat the canola oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, place the racks in the skillet fat side down and sear for 6 minutes. Turn the racks over and roast in the oven until medium-rare, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the fava beans with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.

To serve, cut the racks into double chops and divide among 6 plates. Loosen the custards by running the tip of a small knife around the edge of the ramekins and unmold 1 onto each plate. Scatter the beans around the plates and drizzle some of the sauce over each chop. Serve immediately.