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Recipe Detail Page
Moroccan-Spiced Lamb Lollipops with Pistachios and Garlicky Dip
Holiday 2009
This luscious lamb nibble must be served piping hot from the oven, but the remaining ingredients can be prepared ahead for last-minute assembly.
Makes 24 nibbles
Dip
1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise, preferably olive oil variety
4 tsp (20 mL) freshly squeezed
lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard
Lamb
1 cup (250 mL) shelled pistachios (see TIP)
1 tsp (5 mL) cumin seed
1 tsp (5 mL) caraway seed
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
¼ tsp (1 mL) cayenne
¼ tsp (1 mL) ground coriander
2 tbsp (25 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 frenched lamb racks,
each about 12 oz (375 g)
1. Stir mayonnaise with lemon juice, garlic and Dijon; cover and refrigerate for up to3 days. Very finely chop pistachios by pulsing in a food processor; cover and set aside.
2. In a hot dry frying pan over medium heat, minute lightly toast cumin and caraway seed a minute or 2. Coarsely grind with a mortar and pestle or whirl in mini-food processor. Stir with olive oil, cayenne, coriander and lemon juice.
3. Remove any silvery skin on lamb racks; lay lamb on a platter. Drizzle olive oil mixture over meaty parts only. Flip so the meatiest side is down. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
5. To keep pristine, bare bones can be wrapped with foil, however you don’t need to bother. Place racks on foil-lined baking sheet, meaty side up; drizzle with sauce from platter. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes for rare to medium-rare, or until the internal temperature is 135° to 145°F (57° to 63°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
6. Remove foil from lamb bones, if using. Roll meaty part of rack in pistachios; press with fingers to help nuts adhere. Cut between bones into chops. Place on a very-warm serving platter. Serve hot with garlicky dip.
Tip The pistachios need to be bright green, which means shelling large California pistachios as purchased; shelled pistachios are usually too darkly roasted. Nearly 3 cups (750 mL) of nuts in the shell are needed to yield 1 cup (250 mL) of shelled.
Makes 24 nibbles
