Best Rack Of Lamb With Harissa Recipes

SLOW-COOKED HARISSA LAMB

Steps:

• If you're making the harissa, tip the dried chillies into a heatproof bowl and pour over just enough boiled water from the kettle to cover. Cover the bowl and leave to cool. Once cool enough to handle, drain the chillies, reserving the water. Remove any stalks and pat dry with kitchen paper. Tip the chillies into a food processor with the garlic, 1 tsp salt, the olive oil, spices and vinegar, and blitz to a purée. If needed, add a little of the reserved water to loosen. Will keep, chilled, for up to a month.
• Make 15 cuts, about 3-5cm long, all over the lamb. Reserve 1 tbsp of the harissa paste, then rub the rest all over the lamb and into the cuts. Scatter the onions into a large roasting tin and sit the lamb on top. Leave at room temperature for 1 hr, or cover and chill overnight.
• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 2. Roast the lamb for 4-5 hrs until the meat is fork-tender. Lift the lamb out onto a large board or serving plate. If the tin is flameproof, pour in the stock; if not, tip the contents of the tin into a saucepan first. Bring to the boil, scrape up any browned bits using a wooden spoon, and cook until the liquid is reduced by about a third - it should be a thick, rich onion gravy. Stir in the reserved harissa and the chopped coriander. Serve the lamb with the onion gravy.

ROASTED LAMB CHOPS WITH HARISSA

Steps:

• For the lamb: Remove 2 ribs from each rack to make it a 6-rib rack: Do this by starting from either end and removing the second and seventh bone. This creates 6 chops that are thicker than a normal lamb chop -- YUM!! Cut each rack into 6 equal chops, place on a baking sheet, and transfer to the fridge.
• For the harissa: Preheat a grill.
• Place the bell peppers on the grill and cook them on all sides until the skin is black and charred. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let them hang out until cool. HINT, HINT: This can totally be done ahead! YAY!
• Scrape the black charred skin off the peppers and remove the stem and seeds. Coarsely chop the peppers and transfer them to the bowl of a food processor.
• Add the cumin, coriander, fennel, caraway, chiles, garlic, vinegar, and tomato paste to the food processor and season with salt. Puree until smooth.
• Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to the mixture and pulse, pulse, pulse. Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse again until thoroughly combined. Taste and season with salt. Taste again and re-season if needed. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
• To make the lamb: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Remove the lamb from the fridge, season generously with salt, and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring the pan to medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, add the lamb chops and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare (if you like your meat a little more well done, lower the heat and cook them a minute or 2 longer). If the pan begins to smoke, lower the heat. The chops will be beautifully browned on each side. Stand up the chops to brown the fat edge along each chop. YUM!!! Brown food tastes good! Place the cooked chops on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven to keep them hot while the others cook.
• Top each lamb chop with a spoonful of harissa and serve.

HERB CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB WITH HARISSA SAUCE AND SAFFRON ISRAELI COUSCOUS WITH ZUCCHINI AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the couscous: Set up a small pot of boiling water and season liberally with salt. Add the couscous and cook until al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat a large saute pan with some oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced fennel and onions and season with salt. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, saffron, chicken stock and cooked couscous. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the chicken stock has reduced, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and toss in the chopped fennel fronds.
• For the lamb: Add the parsley, panko, pistachios, oil, rosemary and salt to taste to a bowl. Mix well to combine then set aside.
• Cut the rack of lamb in half so you have two pieces with four bones each. Sprinkle liberally with salt on all sides.
• Heat a large saute pan with some oil over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Sear the lamb, fat side down, until golden brown and a crust begins to form, about 5 minutes. Flip the lamb and sear on the underside as well as each side until golden brown, another few minutes each. Remove the lamb from the pan, place onto a sheet tray and discard the excess fat in the pan. Reserve the pan for the sauce. Place the rack of lamb into the oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer when inserted into the center of the meat, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and brush the top side of the racks evenly with the mustard. Press the pistachio herb crust onto the rack, ensuring the crust adheres to the mustard. Place the crusted rack of lamb back into the oven until the crust is golden and the lamb reaches 135 degrees F, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest before slicing. Once rested, slice each lamb rack into double chops.
• To the same pan that the lamb was cooked in, add some oil, the fennel, onions, crushed red pepper and salt to taste. Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic and harissa and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce reduces by half and has slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Serve the sliced lamb alongside the couscous.

ROAST RACK OF LAMB WITH MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Mix 2 tbsp of the olive oil with the harissa, then add the cumin, turmeric, paprika and coriander, half the parsley, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then stir. Sit the lamb in a roasting tray, season well, then spread the spice mix over surface of the meat. Roast for 15-20 minutes for rare to medium, 25 minutes for well done.
• Meanwhile, throw the carrots into a small roasting tin, add a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes until carrots are just browning slightly at the edges.
• Just before you take the carrots out of the oven, prepare the couscous. Tip it into a bowl, pour over the hot stock, then leave to stand for 5 minutes. Break the couscous up with a fork and leave to cool. Add the remaining olive oil and parsley, satsuma juice, allspice, mint and onion, stir well, then add the cooked carrots and season.
• Put the lamb on a warmed plate and leave it to rest for 5 minutes. Slice it in half to give 3-4 cutlets each, then cut in half again. Spoon the couscous on to two plates, scatter over the almonds and top with the lamb. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yogurt.

MELISSA KELLY'S RUBBED RACK OF LAMB

Steps:

• Combine the salt, oregano, rosemary, caraway, cumin and turmeric in a mortar, spice grinder or blender, and process until fairly well ground. Transfer to a small dish, and work in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, plus the garlic and the harissa or tomato paste mixture. Rub the lamb with the mixture, and set aside to marinate at room temperature, at least 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Shortly before serving, heat a heavy ovenproof saute pan on top of the stove and brush with remaining olive oil. Add the lamb, and sear for a couple of minutes on each side. Turn the lamb so it sits bone side up, and place the pan with the lamb in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer registers 125 degrees for medium-rare. Carve each rack into four double chops.