Rack of Lamb with porcini and fresh herbs

A civilized person would still use a knife and fork even with the handy bones still attached

A couple years ago my wife and I went to Australia to discover some of what it had to offer the world in wine. While doing that we also realized how delicious lamb was. New Zealand chops were popular on many a menu. The versatility is similar to beef, but I usually buy beef since it is cheaper here in the states. That said for a special occasion my wife and I have started to pick lamb over veal and fish and so we found ourselves with a rack of lamb for our anniversary dinner. We seared ours and finished in the oven.

The porcini powder makes this dish really stand out, but can be substituted with powder made from dried shitake mushrooms instead. Do not overcook the meat in the oven, it does continue to cook while resting.

You can cut it up into individual servings or present it as is

Rack of Lamb

• 1 rack of lamb
• 2 tbsp dried porcini powder
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• Salt/pepper
• Olive oil

Season meat with salt and pepper. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp porcini powder over meatier side of lamb. In a bowl combine rosemary and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and mash to create a paste. Add breadcrumbs and the rest of porcini powder and mix. Season spices with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a pan and add lamb meat side down. Sear until browned over medium high heat, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and flip lamb rack over. Let cool and then rub spice mixture all over top and sides of lamb rack. Place in oven set to 365 degrees and bake until lamb reads 120-130 degrees at center, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes. Serve on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes.