Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Rack of Lamb with Blueberry Beurre Rouge – Small, Dark and Handsome New Twist

This Easter-inspired rack of lamb recipe is fairly typical of other dishes I’ve posted with this cut, except for one major difference; we’re actually roasting the meat over the sauce. And not just any sauce; we spiked this beurre rouge (red wine butter sauce) with fresh blueberries, and the small, dark fruit performed beautifully.

My game plan was to introduce some always-welcomed moisture into the cooking environment, as well as hopefully impart some flavor and aroma from the berries, shallots and wine. Both goals were realized, and I was very happy with the final results. Besides possibly straining the cooked berries out next time, I think it was pretty close to spot on.

One word of warning to you poor, unfortunate souls who will insist on cooking this longer: Beside the obvious crime against nature of not eating this pink, you’ll also risk having your sauce dry up and burn in the oven. So, if you are going longer than the 20 minutes recommended here, be sure to check the pan, and add a splash of water if needed.

Other than that, as long as you’re checking with a thermometer, I don’t think there’s a lot that can go wrong. The sauce is very simple to finish up as your lamb rests, and quite similar to most of the pan sauces you’ve seen posted here before. So, if you’re looking for something a little bit usual for your Easter menu, I hope you consider giving this a try…it was berry good! Enjoy!


Ingredients for 4 portions:
2 fully trimmed, racks of lamb (8 bone each)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp vegetable oil for browning
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/3 cup sliced shallot
4 oz (about a cup) fresh blueberries
1 cup decent red wine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 or 2 tbsp butter, whisked into finished sauce

View the complete recipe

15 comments:

Aly Casilla said...

What an easy and sexy dish!
I definitely will try making that...

Christine's Pantry said...

Why are you not active on Google+?

Chef John said...

Google+? For what purpose? I'm trying to spend less time online, not more! ;)

brownbear696969 said...

You should make some authentic Chinese food. If that doesn't work out I want some f***ing diddy donuts.

brownbear696969 said...

You should make some authentic Chinese food! If that doesn't work out I want a video of some f***ing diddy donuts please.

KM said...

OK, My guy hates lamb :( Gonna try a pork variation for Easter dinner. I'll let you know hoe it turns out!

Kate said...

I made this for easter dinner and it was flawless. I substituted blackberries and strained them out at the end and the sauce was so rich from the lamb fat I didn't need to use butter. My whole family loved this!!!

KM said...

Well this recipe worked great using a pork tenderloin. A lot more fat though so no need for the butter. Served with a celeriac & cauliflower puree and baby green salad with blue cheese vinaigrette. It's a keeper...Thanks Chef John!

Unknown said...

Gosh, what perfect timing to post! We had plans to do the traditional but followed your lead. Butterflied a 1/2 leg of lamb (4 1/2 pound), seared it on charcoal, pasted with the Dijon. Our son worked the blueberries on stove top with pan seared leg trimmings. Pulled from grill when thickest part @125. This gave everyone their favorite choice. The beurre rouge was served on the side and everyone had to try it. The first words spoken were, " Over the top". Thank you so much for what you do! Btw, our daughter-in-law complemented it with your Red roasted potatoes w/red bell pepper. Awesome!!
quinton in Smithfield NC

Chef John said...

Sounds amazing!! Thanks!

TigerBee said...

Very good recipe. The whole family enjoy very much. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

Unknown said...

I tried this recipe of yours today. Can not buy blueberry (not so popular in my country, Vietnam. Only certain places sell and depend on the import timing) so I used plums instead. Turned out still supperb. Thanks for sharing, Chef John. ;)

LemonCookie24 said...

I've been dying to make this for months and I finally got to try it tonight! Unfortunately, it's easter so the grocery stores were closed so I had to substitute shallots with onions and garlic, fresh blueberries and rosemary with frozen and dry, and dijon with honey mustard but it was still delicious!! Thank you so much!!! I'll be making this again (with the proper ingredients) soon. Was soooo easy and soooo good.

Unknown said...

Hi Chief.

If I just wanna cook a single rack, about how long does it takes to be cooked in the oven? I assume it will take less then 20 minutes, as the portion size is less.

Chef John said...

It's about the same!