Rack of lamb not too fancy, or fussy for your valentine
Want to wow your sweetie on Valentine's Day? One of the ways I spell romance is with a roasted rack of lamb for two. Most of us never get to enjoy this wonderful dish outside of fine restaurants, but there's no reason not to make it at home. In fact, this recipe — adapted from one we used to make at Gourmet magazine all the time — is hard to mess up.
A single rack of lamb comprises eight chops, or half of the rib cage. At the supermarket these days you'll usually find a choice of New Zealand or American racks. The former are smaller than the latter and taste slightly more lamb-y. Either kind will work here, but in both cases you have to make sure that the chine bone has been removed by the butcher. Otherwise you'll be unable to cut the rack into chops.
The butcher also can trim the rack for you, though you're welcome to do that at home. If I were going to roast the rack without a crumb layer, I'd protect the meat from drying out by leaving the layer of fat on the top of the meat. But this recipe's crumb layer performs the same function as the layer of fat, so off it goes, along with the tough silver skin beneath it.
The best way to remove the silver skin is with a sharp boning or paring knife. Slide it under the skin at a 20 degree angle and slice it first one way, then the other, along the length of the rack.
Then — if it hasn't already been done for you — you'll want to “French” the bones. This is an American term for a French technique, in which the meat and fat are removed from the top few inches of the end of each chop. What's left is the succulent heart of the chop, from which a long spare bone extends like an elegantly curved handle.
Now you're ready to sear the meat, then top it with a mustard-mayonnaise mix, then finally the crumbs. You can prep the roast to this stage earlier in the day, then park it for an hour. When dinner is about 30 minutes away, just pop it in the oven. Be sure to let it rest afterward to ensure that the chops are every bit as juicy as Cupid meant them to be.
• Sara Moulton was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years, and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows. She currently stars in public television's “Sara's Weeknight Meals” and has written three cookbooks, including “Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners.”