lamb – Spanish style

Dave invited a colleague over for dinner one-night last week. The only inspiration I needed while deciding what to serve was the newfound knowledge that our guest was of Spanish ancestry. Perfect, I love Spanish cuisine!

For the “1 pound meaty lamb bones” needed in the sauce, I purchased a small lamb shank that was just under 2 pounds. I trimmed off the meat, which weighed in at 12 ounces, and was left with the perfect bones.  The bonus was the trimmed meat, which was later used for a little lamb cassoulet for 2.

Olive Crusted Rack of Lamb

Sauce
1 pound meaty lamb bones
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek (white and pale green portions only), chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups water

Lamb
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 large shallots, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups (or more) fresh breadcrumbs made from French bread
6 ounces Kalamata olives, pitted, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 ounces green olives with pimentos, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 trimmed racks of lamb (each about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Sauce:  Sprinkle lamb bones with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add lamb bones and sauté until dark brown, about 20 minutes, turning often.  Transfer lamb bones to plate.

Add leek, carrot, and onion to the same pot. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 10 minutes.

Add tomato, red wine, whole peeled garlic cloves, bay leaves, and rosemary; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add 4 cups of water and lamb bones with any accumulated juices on the plate. Bring to boil. Cover partially, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened and reduced, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Using tongs, discard lamb bones. Press vegetables and liquid through a fine sieve into a medium saucepan. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Olive Coating and Lamb:  Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and rosemary; sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add olives and stir until moist clumps form, adding more breadcrumbs if the mixture is loose. Season crumb topping with salt and pepper. Set aside and cool.  Wipe out the skillet and use it to brown the lamb.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet over high heat. Add lamb racks to skillet, rounded side down. Sear until brown, about 6 minutes.

Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet, seared side up. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of mustard over each rack. Press crumb topping into mustard. Roast lamb for about 22 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 160 degrees.

Rewarm sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cut lamb between bones and serve with sauce.

Serves 6 to 8