Roast Rack of Lamb with Sun-dried Tomato and Apple-smoked Bacon
Rich and hearty are the best words to describe this dish. The lamb chops are placed on a creamy polenta filled with fragrant herbs and sauced with a delicious wine sauce. Start a day ahead to make the sauce.
Ingredients
- Red Wine Jus
- Veal Bones - 5 pounds
- Carrots - 2, peeled and coarsely chopped
- Celery Stalk - 1, coarsely chopped
- Onions - 2, coarsely chopped
- Garlic Bulbs - 1 whole, halved crosswise
- Dry Red Wine - 4 cups
- Water - 5 quarts
- Peppercorns - 1 teaspoon
- Fresh thyme sprigs - 1
- Fresh rosemary sprigs - 1
- Bay Leaf - 1
- Hawaiian or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Herbed Soft Polenta
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick)
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Shallot - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Dried Rosemary - 1/4 teaspoon
- Ground Sage - 1/2 teaspoon
- Dried Thyme - 1 teaspoon
- Chicken Stock - 3 cups
- Salt - 1 teaspoon
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1 cup
- Polenta - 1 cup
- Ground Pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
- Parmesan Cheese - 1 tablespoon, grated
- Fresh Parsley - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Fresh basil - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Lamb - two, 8-rib racks, frenched
- Hawaiian or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Apple-smoked Bacon - 8 ounces, thinly sliced
- Sun-dried tomatoes - 20, soaked in water and drained
- Fresh Basil Leaves - 1/4 cup
- Pine nuts - 1/2 cup, toasted
- Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons
- Fresh thyme sprigs - 4, for garnish
Instructions
The day before serving, make the jus: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Put the veal bones, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic in a large roasting pan and roast, turning twice, until lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Put the bones, vegetables, wine, and water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming to remove the foam that rises to the top. Add the peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 hours. Let cool. Pour the stock through a sieve, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove and discard the fat. Place the stock in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to 1 cup. Season with salt and pepper.
To make the polenta: In a heavy, large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, shallot, rosemary, sage, and thyme, and cook until the garlic and shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, salt, and heavy cream. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Gradually stir the polenta into the boiling liquid and stir constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook the polenta for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to blend. Set aside and keep warm.
To prepare the lamb: Preheat the oven to 450 F. Cut the loins from the racks of bones. Trim all the excess fat and remove the silver skin. Butterfly each piece of the lamb by slicing it lengthwise three-fourths of the way through. Open and lay out flat. Using the flat side of a mallet or a heavy pan, pound to an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
Lay half the thinly sliced bacon on parchment or waxed paper, slightly overlapping each slice. Repeat with the remaining bacon. Layer each flattened lamb loin with the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and pine nuts. Starting with the closest end of one of the lamb pieces, begin rolling up tightly into a tube. Place the rolled lamb at one end of one of the bacon slices and wrap until the lamb is enclosed in the bacon, pulling the paper away as you roll. Repeat with the other roll.
In a large ovenproof saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Brown the lamb rolls evenly on all sides. Pour off the fat and add the lamb bones. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, turning the lamb twice, to evenly brown all sides. Remove the lamb from the oven and place on a cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Using a sharp knife, slice each loin in half crosswise. Cut 1 inch off the end of each half. Cut 2 halves into 1/4-inch-thick diagonal slices. Slice the remaining pieces diagonally. Cut through the rack bones. Repeat for the other lamb loin.
To serve: Mound the center of each plate with 1 cup of polenta. Stand the long slices of lamb around the mound. Ladle the red wine jus around the polenta and garnish with the bones and a sprig of thyme.
