Last week, Joey and I stopped at a new restaurant in Kansas City on our way back from a conference in Iowa.
It was a cozy spot, and we got a table looking directly into the kitchen, which was fun, since we got to watch the chefs in action.
We decided to share an order of rabbit, cooked with a mole sauce and black beans. It was excellent and not something I’ve ever been brave enough to cook on my own at home.
Like rabbit, lamb is something that has always intimidated me in the kitchen. I know it tends to be a popular dish this time of year, but since it wasn’t something I grew up on, I’ve tended to avoid it.
I found a rack of lamb on sale recently, though, so I decided to overcome my fears and give it a try. Luckily, I found a recipe that promised to be an easy way to fix lamb.
This recipe comes from Buzzfeed’s food editor, Emily Fleischaker. You can find it at buzzfeed.com by searching “The Laziest, Most Delicious Way To Make Rack Of Lamb.” (A great title) I doubled the garlic in my version.
Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
- 2- pound rack of lamb
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 slice rye bread I used marble rye
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- In a food processor, combine the olive oil, garlic, paprika and salt and pepper. Pulse to combine
- Break the slice of bread into pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse to create a paste.
- Trim any extra fat off of the rack of lamb and spread the paste over the meaty side of the rack.
- Add a bit more salt and pepper if desired.
- Place on a baking sheet (line it with foil for easier cleanup), meaty side up, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 125 degrees.
- Let rest for a bit and cut between the bones to separate for serving.
This was a delicious dinner that I paired with some potatoes. The lamb was cooked perfectly, and the spice combination, while not fancy or complicated, was exactly the right amount.
While you could probably use some wheat bread instead of the rye, the flavor of the rye bread really comes through, so I’d recommend getting a loaf for this recipe.
This piece first appeared in print on March 22, 2018.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.