Rack of Lamb is one of those main courses that may divide the room. Lamb can be an acquired taste but for those who can’t get enough or for those on the fence, this recipe is tried and true (as are all on this website) and it will make a fan of the unsure and continue the obsession for those who already can’t get enough.
Whether you prefer imported lamb from Australia, or domestic lamb from your own country, it is hard to choose wrong if you get your lamb from a reputable butcher with high standards. Lamb flavor is enhanced by its diet, the way it was raised, and by its age. It is hard to describe the flavor of lamb, but it is juicy, tender, and has a hint of gaminess. As with any animal protein there are many different cuts to choose from, but perhaps one of the best cuts would be the rack of lamb.
The rack of lamb is basically the ribs of a lamb along its spine. They are meaty, full of flavor, tender, and mouthwatering. When preparing you can leave them as they are or you can neatly cut away extra fat from the cap and the bones, this is referred to as Frenched. French Lamb Rack is what you would order from a restaurant and is a great choice if want your lamb rack to be leaner. This will come down to preference but leaving the fat on adds a ton of flavor and can always be removed by those who tend to cut around the fat.
To make this Rack of Lamb with Fig Reduction recipe, start by seasoning your lab racks with salt and pepper. Heat a sauté pan over high heat until very hot. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil to the pan. Add your lamb racks to the oil, fatty side down, and sear the racks on both sides until they have a deep brown crust. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the lamb from the pan; set the racks of lamb aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix together garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, Dijon, brown sugar, and the remaining salt and pepper left after seasoning the lamb racks earlier. Coat the meaty parts of the rack very well.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the racks of lamb in a roasting pan, and roast in the hot oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes (bone side down). Loosely cover the lamb racks with foil and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until they have an internal temperature of 120 degrees. Using a leave-in meat thermometer is a great tool to know exactly what your meat temperature is at all times. They are worth the investment and a necessity for anyone that cooks roasts, large birds, or expensive cuts of meat. Let the lamb rest, covered with foil for ten minutes, allowing the lamb to finish reaching its final temperature of 125-130 degrees for a rare to medium rare cook. Lamb should be cooked to medium at most, if you like a more medium cook pull your lamb from the oven at 130 and let rest for ten minutes.
Make sure you let your lamb rest before carving. Letting meat rest allows the muscles fibers to relax and redistribute juices back throughout the meat. Carving too soon will release all of those juices and cause your meat to be dry.
While the lamb is resting, make your pan sauce fig reduction.
Start by heating olive oil in the same pan you cooked the lamb in. Once the oil is hot, add shallots and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook until the shallots are soft and brown, this will only take a couple of minutes. Add figs to the pan and cook until they break down. Raise the heat to medium high and add your red wine. Reduce the wine by half before adding chicken stock to the pan. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer then add bay leaf, honey, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar. Cook until the sauce reduces and thickens then discard the bay leaf and taste to see if it needs salt and/or pepper.
Carve your lamb either between each bone or between every two bones, each person should get four bones. Neatly arrange them or stand them on the plate. Using a spoon smear the fig reduction sauce on the plate alongside the lamb. If you put it over top of the lamb it is very concentrated, so don’t use too much. It is best to serve on the side so you and your guests can decide how much they want to use with each bite.
Enjoy your Rack of Lamb with Fig Reduction recipe!
Rack of Lamb with Fig Reduction
Ingredients
Lamb Rack
- 2 Eight Rib Racks Frenched works great too
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 3/4 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- 3 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley Chopped
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 2 tsp Rosemary Chopped
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
Reduction
- 1/2 cup Red Wine
- 1/4 cup Chicken Stock
- 1/8 cup Shallots Chopped
- 1 cup Fig Chopped
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- ½ tbsp Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Season your lamb racks with salt and pepper. Heat a sauté pan over high heat until very hot, add oil to the pan just before adding your lamb racks. Sear the lamb racks until you have a deep brown color on each side.
- In a mixing bowl add garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, Dijon, and brown sugar. Add remaining salt and pepper to the mixing bowl. Coat the meaty parts of the lamb racks and set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Roast lamb in a roasting pan, uncovered, for fifteen minutes. Loosely, cover the lamb racks with foil and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until they are 120 degrees. Let rest, covered, for ten minutes, allowing them to finish reaching 125-130 degrees for medium rare.
- While lamb is resting, make your pan sauce. Start by heating olive oil in the same pan you cooked the lamb in. Add shallots once the oil is hot, reduce heat to medium low. Cook until the shallots soften and brown. Add figs to the pan and cook until they break down. Raise heat to medium high and add red wine. Reduce the wine by half before adding chicken stock. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer and add all other reduction ingredients. Cook until the sauce reduces and thickens then discard the bay leaf. Use sparingly over the top of the lamb, it will be very concentrated.