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Recipe Detail Page
Salt-Crust-Roasted Rack of Lamb with Spiced Pomegranate Sauce
Winter 2013
Salt-crust-roasting helps keep moisture where it belongs, resulting in tender, succulent meat; cracking the crust table-side with a dramatic flourish suggests a difficult and suitably romantic undertaking. Truth is, it couldn’t be much easier. Serve with a salad of blood orange segments, baby arugula and pretty sprouts dressed with a little olive oil and the orange’s own juice.
Serves 2
3 lbs (1.5 kg) coarse salt
1 egg white
1 small bunch thyme
Frenched rack of lamb, with 6 chops, about 1¼ lbs (625 g)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
½ cup (125 mL) unsweetened pomegranate juice
½ cup (125 mL) beef stock, preferably homemade
1 tsp (5 mL) honey
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed with the side of a knife
¼ tsp (1 mL) ground cumin
Pinch ground allspice
Pinch ground cinnamon
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped mint
¼ cup (60 mL) pomegranate arils to garnish (optional)
1 Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2 Combine salt and egg white in a large mixing bowl. Using your fingers, work egg white throughout. Turn one-third of the salt mixture into a small roasting pan to form a mound roughly 6 inches (15 cm) wide by 9 inches (23 cm) long. Lay thyme sprigs over salt base.
3 Season lamb generously with pepper. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Deeply brown lamb on all sides except ends, about 10 minutes total. Place, fat-side down, over thyme sprigs. Cover with remaining salt mixture, pressing to pack salt evenly over sides and top (do not cover bones). Roast for 24 to 26 minutes for medium-rare.
4 While lamb is roasting, prepare sauce by combining pomegranate juice and beef stock in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Stir in honey, salt, garlic, cumin, allspice and cinnamon. Cook for 16 to 18 minutes, or until thickened and reduced to ¼ cup (60 mL). Remove from heat. Remove and discard garlic cloves. Whisk in butter and mint.
5 Using a knife with a sharp point, pierce salt crust near bones and lift to crack. Remove enough crust to free lamb. Place rack on cutting board, brush remaining salt from lamb and carve into individual chops. Divide chops between 2 plates and drizzle with sauce. Garnish with pomegranate arils if desired.
Serves 2
