Courtesy of Linda Pilcher, Something Elegant Catering
Sept/Oct 2006
Yield: 4 servings
- 1 lamb loin (about 1 ½ pounds) or 2 lamb racks (about 8 to 9 ribs each)
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 6 thyme sprigs, bruised
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Trim any excess fat or silver skin off the loin with a small sharp knife. (Alternatively, clean the rib bones well by scraping off the meat and sinew.) In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Arrange the lamb in a glass baking dish and drizzle the oil-herb marinade over the meat, coating it well. Season the lamb with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the lamb from the marinade and scrape off as many of the herbs as possible. Leave the loin in one piece. (Cut each rack into four equal pieces, two bones per chop.)
Heat a grill to medium-high. Grill the lamb until slightly charred on all sides and cooked to medium-rare (135–140 degrees on a meat thermometer; about 8–10 minutes for a loin or 3–5 minutes per side for chops). Let the meat stand for 5 minutes. Serve with either Tapenade butter or basil-mint pesto.
Tapenade Butter
Yield: ¾ cup
- 1½ tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped garlic
- ½ teaspoon chopped lemon zest
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- ½ cup Niçoise or Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place the butter, anchovies, garlic, lemon zest and pepper flakes in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the olives, salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined.
Scrape the mixture into a small bowl or ramekin. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Let the butter sit at room temperature about 10 minutes before serving.
Basil-Mint Pesto
(It is best to use this pesto the day it is made; otherwise, the mint can oxidize and turn black.)
Yield: 1 cup
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup packed fresh mint leaves
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 1 medium garlic clove, peeled
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place the basil, mint, pine nuts, garlic and honey in a blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment. Chop coarsely; then gradually add the olive oil while the machine is running to make a thick purée. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the pesto in a small bowl or ramekin and cover the pesto surface flush with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Remove the pesto from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Stir to incorporate any olive oil that has risen to the surface.
