Redcurrant And Mint Marinated Lamb With Spring Greens And Pearl Barley In An Onion And Chorizo Butter Recipes

CROWN ROAST OF LAMB WITH MINT AND GREEN ONION PESTO

Steps:

• For the lamb: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, coriander, cumin and fennel.
• Drizzle the olive oil over both sides of the racks of lamb, then evenly apply the dry rub all over the lamb.
• Using a sharp knife, make cuts between each of the rib bones on the back sides of the racks to allow the straight racks to be flexible and formed into a crown.
• Tie the 2 racks together where they meet. Lift them so that the bare bones point upward and fashion them into a crown, then secure by tying twine around the bottom and midsection.
• Place the crown roast onto a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast until a thermometer inserted into the meat (avoid touching bone) registers 110 degrees F, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• For the pesto: Into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the mint, cilantro, almonds, salt, green onions, garlic and chile. Pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary, until finely chopped. With the machine running, add 3/4 cup of the olive oil in a steady stream.
• Pour the pesto into a bowl. Add the remaining 3/4 cup olive oil and the lemon juice. Season to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside, or refrigerate (bring to room temperature 30 minutes prior to serving the lamb).
• Remove the lamb from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 500 degrees F.
• Place a sheet of foil over the bones to keep them from burning. Roast the lamb until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chop reaches 125 degrees F for medium-rare or 135 degrees F for medium, an additional 10 minutes. Tent the lamb with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the twine and carve into chops; serve with pesto on the side.

LAMB IN REDCURRANT JELLY

Steps:

• Trim the meat of excess fat.
• Grate 1 teaspoon of rind from the lemon and squeeze 4 teaspoons of juice.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan, and brown the chops well.
• Place in an oven-proof dish.
• Add the onion to the frying pan and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until softened.
• Add the jelly, rind and juice, stock and sauces.
• Stir until heated through then pour over the chops.
• Bake, covered, for 1 hour in an oven set at 325f, turning a couple of times during cooking.
• Remove the chops, and pour the sauce into a frying pan.
• Boil rapidly until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
• Return the chops to the sauce to serve.
• This goes very well with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.