Rack of Lamb with Pineapple Sage Sauce: Diary of a Foodie : gourmet.com

Diary of a Foodie

Diary of a Foodie: Season Three: Hawaii’s Big Island: Food Lover’s Paradise

Serves2

Active Time:35 min
Start to Finish:50 min

PETER MERRIMAN, MERRIMAN'S, WAIMEA, HAWAII

January 2009

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For Lamb

1 (1 1/4-lb) frenched rack of lamb (about 8 chops)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil

For Pineapple Sage Sauce

2 cups lamb or chicken stock
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 large shallot, coarsely chopped
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon mild honey
1 cup diced (1/2 inch) fresh pineapple
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chopped sage

Accompaniment:

potatoes with green beans and arugula

Roast lamb:

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
Coat meaty side of rack of lamb with mustard and sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, garlic, and salt to taste, pressing to help adhere. Drizzle with olive oil.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skiller until hot, then sear lamb until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer lamb to a roasting pan and roast in oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of lamb registers 130°F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes, loosely covered with foil, then cut into chops.

Make sauce while lamb roasts:

Boil stock, wine, garlic, shallot, bay leaf, lemon juice, and honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Strain through a sieve into a cup, discarding solids.
Pat pineapple dry. Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook pineapple, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add stock mixture and sage, then simmer, mashing pineapple with back of a fork, until pineapple is slightly softened and sauce has thickened a bit, 2 to 4 minutes. Season with salt.
Serve lamb with sauce.

Photograph by Stephanie Foley

Keywords: diary of a foodie,; lamb,; regional specialty,; hawaii,; fruit

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