Like you (hopefully!), we’ll be taking the rest of the week off to spend time with family, do some grilling, drink some wine and, of course, toast America’s independence.
But before that happens, I thought I’d share a recipe that I plan to use this weekend at our family gathering—even though it involves an oven rather than a grill. It has become a family favorite.
Lamb dishes typically call for Syrah as a wine companion. When garlic is a prominent flavor in a dish, the usual wine suggestions are Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, and occasionally Viognier.
So what kind of wine should one select for this dish, which features lamb and garlic?
We suggest pouring a glass of Syrah and a glass of your favorite Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Viognier, and deciding for yourself.
This recipe yields about 8 servings, and comes with our wishes for a happy… and safe… 4th of July weekend.
RACK OF LAMB WITH GARLIC CRUST
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled
- 1/4 cup rosemary leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 racks of lamb (2-lbs. each), Frenched
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a food processor, combine garlic, rosemary and olive oil. Process until the garlic is finely chopped.
- Season lamb racks with salt and pepper, and rub the garlic-rosemary oil over them.
- Set racks fat side up on a large rimmed baking sheet, and let stand for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Roast lamb in the upper third of the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the racks and roast 10 minutes longer (for medium-rare).
- Transfer racks to a carving board, stand them upright and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Carve the racks between the rib bones, and transfer to plates for serving.
