Rack of Lamb
Luciano Bossegia's presentation uses the lamb racks as the racks holding the lamb fillets, both for cooking and for serving. The lamb fillet is served rare, with rich sauce and a stuffed tomato. Good browning is important for this dish, as it affects both the appeal of the finished presentation and the taste of the sauce. The sauce is made from lamb trimmings enriched with veal stock, and gets its rich color from well-browned bones and meat trimmings. Bossegia cooked in his native Italy and in England before coming to Brazil; his restaurant is named for actress Claudia Cardinale.
Ingredients
- Lamb racks - 4, small
- Sauce
- Lamb trimmings - onion,
- Onion - 1, roughly chopped
- Carrot - 1, roughly chopped
- Celery Stalk - 1, roughly chopped
- Garlic Cloves - 2, flattened
- Water - 3 quarts
- Dry Red Wine - 1 cup
- Parsley Sprigs - 1, stemmed and minced
- Thyme Sprigs - 1, stemmed
- Rosemary Sprigs - 1, stemmed and chopped
- Bay Leaf - 1
- Peppercorns - 6
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Veal Stock - 2 cups
- Stuffed Tomatoes
- Tomatoes
- Eggplant - 1 small
- Raisins - 1/4 cup
- Parsley Sprigs - 1, stemmed and minced
- Thyme Sprigs - 1, stemmed
- Rosemary Sprigs - 1, stemmed and chopped
- Bread Crumbs - 1/4 cup, coarse
- Unsalted Butter - 4 pats
- Olive Oil - 6 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Bread Crumbs - 3 cups, coarse
- Parmesan cheese - 3 cups, freshly grated
- Parsley Sprigs - 2, stemmed and minced
- Thyme Sprigs - 2, stemmed
- Rosemary Sprigs - 2, stemmed and chopped
- Canola oil - 3 tablespoons
- Red Chilies - 4, small
- Thyme Sprigs - 4
- Rosemary Sprigs - 4
- Parsley Sprigs - 4
Instructions
To prepare the lamb: Trim each lamb rack of excess fat. With a sharp boning knife, cut the loin meat from the rib bones in one piece and set the loins aside. Trim off any silverskin. Trim the smallest 3 rib bones away from the remaining rib bones. Scrape the remaining meat from the 5-bone racks. Set the meat and extra small bones aside for the sauce. Wrap the 5-bone racks and loins and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
To prepare the sauce: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Put the bones and trimmings in a roasting pan and roast until they are browned, about 45 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the vegetables to the pan and roast 20 minutes longer, or until the vegetables are browned. Place the bones and vegetables in a large pot, pouring off any fat. Add 1 quart of the water to the roasting pan and place on the stove over high heat. Stir to scrape up the brown bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. Pour this liquid into the pot with the remaining water, wine, and the herbs and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, skimming off the foam that rises for the first 10 to 15 minutes. Simmer for 5 to 6 hours. Strain the stock through a fine-meshed sieve and discard the solids. Stir in the veal stock and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes to concentrate the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside; keep warm.
To make the stuffed tomatoes: Peel the tomatoes. If necessary, cut a thin piece from the bases to let them stand securely. Cut off the tops. Hollow out the tomatoes, putting the pulp in a bowl. Peel the eggplant and cut into fourths; cut out the strips with the seeds. Dice the remaining eggplant flesh and add to the tomato pulp. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Stuff back into the tomato shells and top each with a pat of butter.
To finish the lamb: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat and saute the 5-rib racks until well browned. Season the loins with salt and pepper and sear on all sides in the hot oil until well browned. Place the browned racks in a large baking pan and place a seared loin on each. Mix the remaining olive oil, bread crumbs, cheese, and herbs and mound the stuffing on the seared loins. Put the stuffed tomatoes in the same baking pan. Bake 5 to 6 minutes for very rare, or longer to taste.
To prepare the chili garnish: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chilies and cook 30 seconds; remove with tongs and drain on paper towels.
To serve: Spoon a pool of sauce on one side of each warmed serving plate. Slice a thin piece off the ends of each loin to reveal the color. Place a rack cradling a loin on each plate. Put a stuffed tomato beside each rack. Garnish the plates with herbs and a red
