Recipe - Herb Crusted Rack Of Lamb With Roasted

HERB CRUST
One half cup Italian parsley
One fourth cup Chives
2 tablespoon Rosemary
2 tablespoon Sage
2 tablespoon Savory
2 tablespoon Thyme
2 tablespoon Garlic puree
1 cup Soft butter
One half cup Bread crumbs
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

PEPPER RAGOUT
1 Red bell pepper
1 Yellow bell pepper
2 Anaheim chiles
1 Fresh pimento
1 Red onion
8 Garlic cloves
2 tablespoon Olive oil
1 teaspoon Lavender
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 tablespoon Wild honey
2 tablespoon Basil leaves

SOCCA NICOISE
1 cup Ground chick pea flour
2 One half cup Whole milk
2 tablespoon Olive oil
1 Egg
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

TAPENADE
1 cup Pitted late harvest olives
1 Fillet anchovy
2 tablespoon Basil
1 teaspoon Sherry vinegar
One half cup Extra virgin olive oil; (1/2
to 3/4)
Milled pepper to taste

LAMB

Preparation of the herb crust: Chop all picked herbs and blend in a food
processor with other ingredients until it is smooth and homogenous. Reserve
in refrigerator or freezer. Preparation of the pepper ragout:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Prelight a mesquite grill and let embers cool. Place all the peppers,
chiles, and onion on the grill and char well. Place the garlic cloves in a
pouch of aluminum foil and roast over coals until lightly golden brown.
Once peppers are charred, place them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and
allow to steam for ten minutes. Remove the skins from the chiles, pepper
and onion and cut into large chunks, after removing any seeds or white
membranes. Cut the garlic into large chunks and mix with peppers and
onions.

In a heavy sauce pot, add the olive oil and heat over a medium fire and
sweat the pepper mixture. Add the lavender, salt, pepper and honey and
bake, uncovered in oven until the liquid from the peppers has reduced.
Remove and cool to room temperature, adjust seasonings and add whole leaves
of basil.

Preparation of the socca nicoise:

Place flour in a mixing bowl and add the milk in a steady stream until
smooth. Add olive oil, egg, salt and pepper. Strain and let rest for two
hours in refrigerator. Consistency should be similar to crepe batter.
Preparation of the tapenade:

Puree all ingredients in a food processor, not too smooth but should remain
chunky. Let sit at room temperature.

Presentation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Heat a heavy saute pan and add a drizzle of olive oil over high heat. Get
oil to smoking point. Season the racks of lamb and sear well on all sides,
place in oven and cook for fifteen minutes until rare. Cut a piece of the
herb butter and place on top of the rack of lamb. Put back in oven and cook
another five to seven minutes until medium rare and crust is golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to rest for five minutes. Cut rack in half,
between the chops and reserve warm.

In a small nonstick pan, heat the olive oil over medium to high heat and
add the chick pea batter. Color well on both sides. Place on a warm plate
and make as many as you would like.

Place a small pile of the roasted pepper ragout in the center, place the
rack of lamb on top and drizzle around with tapenade. Garnish with fried
Italian parsley. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings.
Recipe By : Chef du Jour

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #255

Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 14:32:14 PST

From: minnie@juno.com (Louise M McCartney)