Every food is associated with a word or image in one’s mind. While these associations may vary across cultures, some are consistent in the U.S.
Chicken is considered “common.” When you go to someone’s home for dinner and they serve chicken, the subconscious perception is that you’re being invited into their everyday, “common” life. On the other hand, if your friend serves duck with orange sauce, you’re “special.”
Milk is often seen as an essential part of the diet. If it’s not in the refrigerator, the kids will say there’s “nothing to eat.” A fresh apple is a “snack,” a banana is “common,” a pineapple is “exotic,” and a passion fruit is “odd.” A chocolate-covered strawberry is “romantic,” while an oyster means get ready for love! Prime rib roast is for successful people, but when it comes to rack of lamb, the image is this: royalty.
Every exclusive restaurant features an impressive rack of lamb on their menu, often for holidays and throughout the year. Even if you don’t order it yourself, when someone at your table does, it gives the feeling that your group is extraordinary. Heads will turn as the rack of lamb is served, and throughout the meal, everyone will feel like they are accessing their “inner king” or “inner queen.”
You Can Cook a Rack of Lamb and Do It Well
It may sound daunting, but try cooking a rack of lamb this holiday for your guests and see what happens!
“Cook a rack of lamb? Me? It looks too difficult!” – these are words often heard from those who are hesitant to take on such a big task.
However, cooking a rack of lamb is not as difficult as it seems. Here are some basic principles to get you started:
- The most challenging part of cooking a rack of lamb is trimming the meat to look like a lamb rack, which is called “Frenching” the rack. The good news is that your butcher can do this for you! Watching him do it a few times is a great way to learn the process, preventing mistakes when you do it yourself in the future. So, step one is to buy a rack that’s already frenched.
- When cooking a rack of lamb, always make sure you have enough for your guests. Allow about 2 to 3 servings per rack, depending on its size. When your butcher Frenches the rack, ask for confirmation that you’ll have enough for everyone.
- The beauty of the rack of lamb is accentuated by the bones sticking up. These bones must be covered with foil during cooking; otherwise, the exposed bones will be burnt, not beautiful. If you’re searing the rack before baking, the bones don’t need to be covered. Only cover them during the baking process.
- There are two ways to cook a rack of lamb: 1) Sear it first in a hot pan with oil on high heat, then transfer it to the oven for the rest of the cooking, or 2) Bake it at two temperatures – 450°F first, then 375°F for the remainder of the cooking time.
- Some chefs prefer to stuff the crown of the rack with stuffing, while others coat the lamb with breadcrumbs and herbs after searing. Experiment with both methods – both work well!
- Different sauces will add flavor to the lamb. You can brush these sauces on the rack before it goes into the oven and also immediately after removing it. The sauce possibilities are endless: try raspberry-blackberry sauce, wasabi-garlic-mustard-ginger wine sauce, cranberry-fennel-thyme-orange sauce, or a nut-garlic sauce.
- Cooking a rack of lamb is fun, but what’s even more fun is creating the accompanying vegetables that add a sense of royalty to the dish. You can’t just serve a rack of lamb on a platter – it would look absolutely naked! To give the illusion of royalty, you need to surround the rack with vegetables. Some options include:
- Sautéed long strips of carrots, parsnips, fennel, and sweet potatoes
- Mashed potatoes piped into flower shapes with olives, steamed green beans, red pepper strips, and other colorful vegetables
- Asparagus spears, small red potatoes, artichoke hearts, steamed carrots, and other brightly colored fruits or vegetables on a bed of kale
With this knowledge, you’re now ready to proceed at full speed. Your royal family and friends are awaiting your unique creation. Now go make some great memories!
