2 racks of lamb, Frenched
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup red wine
1 ½ cup beef stock
1 pat of butter
Kitchen Bouquet, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 425°, Salt and pepper racks and set aside. Add oil to hot skillet and add lamb when oil is almost smoking. Sear, meat side down for 2 minutes to brown, turn, and sear the other side for 2 minutes. Brown all sides, including ends. When done, remove from pan and let cool.
Sauce:
Pour off excess fat and deglaze pan with red wine, while scraping off browned bits with a spatula. Add beef stock. Simmer down to about 1/3 to
thicken sauce, leaving approximately 1 cup. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add Kitchen Bouquet to darken. When ready to serve, stir in butter to create a velvety texture, and pour over lamb.
Mustard Coating:
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 ½ tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 cloves chopped fresh garlic 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients and apply over all surfaces of the meat (except bones) with a pastry brush. Then roll rack in Bread Crumbs: 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp dried mustard. Place rack in oven for 15-20 minutes for rare (130°). Take out of oven and let it rest for an additional 5-10 minutes. Serve with steamed asparagus and saffron-infused mashed potatoes.
6 cups dark chicken stock
½ teaspoon saffron
1 small onion, peeled and diced
kosher salt to taste
½ cup olive oil
¼ pound cooking chorizo sausage, ¼ inch slices
4 scallions, chopped
4 tbs. chopped fresh garlic
2 roasted red peppers, chopped
1 pound small or medium shrimp, shelled
4 lobsters tails, split lengthwise; or 8 jumbo shrimp, in their shells
3 cups rice
5 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 bay leaves, crumbled
½ cup dry white wine
¼ pound fresh or frozen peas
18 mussels, scrubbed
lemon wedges, to garnish
In a deep skillet or paella pan, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender, about 7 minutes. Add red pepper and cook 4 minutes. Add sausage and cooked until carmelized, add shrimp and cook an additional 2 minutes, remove and set aside. Deglaze with wine and add stock; heat to boiling. Stir in rice, saffron, and bay leaves, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add peas and cook an additional 5-10 minutes. When rice is almost dry, return shrimp and sausage to the pan, and add lobster and mussels and cover. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 10-15 minutes until seafood is cooked through and the rice is done. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with lemon wedges.
*Tips: Resist all urges to peek at the rice. If the bottom of the dish is crispy and slightly toasted, you've cooked it perfectly. The Spanish call this delicacy "socarrat." Enjoy!