Roasted Racks Of Lamb With Malagueta Pepper And Farofa Crust Recipes

ROASTED RACKS OF LAMB WITH MALAGUETA PEPPER AND FAROFA CRUST

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Heat butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook flour, stirring, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Purée onion, garlic, peppers, sugar, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons water if needed to facilitate puréeing.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook purée, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. (Don't worry if mixture turns blue-green; this sometimes results from the interaction of vinegar and immature garlic.) Reserve 5 tablespoons purée in a small bowl (for coating lamb) and transfer remainder to another small bowl (to be served on the side with lamb).
• Sprinkle lamb with remaining tablespoon salt. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in cleaned 10-inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb 1 rack at a time, turning over once, about 4 minutes per rack. Transfer racks to a large roasting pan, arranging with bones curving downward.
• Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons malagueta purée over meaty part of each rack of lamb, excluding ends. Stir parsley into farofa mixture, then pat mixture onto lamb (over purée) to coat, pressing gently to adhere.
• Roast lamb until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center (do not touch bone) registers 125°F (for medium-rare), 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let racks stand 15 minutes (internal temperature will rise to about 130°F).
• Cut each rack into chops and serve remaining purée on the side.

ROASTED RACK OF LAMB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Move oven rack to the center position.
• In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss in 2 tablespoons olive oil to moisten mixture. Set aside.
• Season the rack all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy oven proof skillet over high heat. Sear rack of lamb for 1 to 2 minutes on all sides. Set aside for a few minutes. Brush rack of lamb with the mustard. Roll in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Cover the ends of the bones with foil to prevent charring.
• Arrange the rack bone side down in the skillet. Roast the lamb in preheated oven for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the degree of doneness you want. With a meat thermometer, take a reading in the center of the meat after 10 to 12 minutes and remove the meat, or let it cook longer, to your taste. Let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes, loosely covered, before carving between the ribs.