RACK OF LAMB WITH WHITE BEANS

RACK OF LAMB WITH WHITE BEANS image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

For the white beans:
2 cups dried cannellini beans
4 cups water
1 whole clove
1 yellow onion, halved
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
For the lamb:
1 rack of lamb, 8 ribs or about 2 lb., trimmed of any fat and frenched (see note above)
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs (from about 2 slices)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Steps:

Pick over the beans, and rinse well. In large pot, combine beans with cold water to cover by 3 inches. Soak at least 4 hours or overnight. Or, for a quick-soak method, bring beans and water to a rapid simmer (but do not boil), then simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans, place in saucepan and add the 4 cups water. Stick clove into an onion half and add the onion halves, garlic, bay leaf and thyme to the saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer gently until beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans, reserving liquid. Discard bay leaf, onion halves and clove. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place lamb, meaty side up, in shallow 2-qt baking dish. Pour in 1/2 cup of bean liquid. Roast meat until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove dish from oven and reduce oven to 400°. Place lamb on cutting board. Spread mustard over the meaty side of rack. In small bowl, stir together bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Using your hands, press bread crumb mixture into the mustard, covering meat in an even layer. Measure out 4 cups of cooked beans and arrange on bottom of baking dish to cover. (Reserve the remaining beans for another use.) Pour in 2 cups of bean liquid. Set lamb, crumb-coated side up, on the top of the beans. Roast lamb until meat springs back to touch or until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 130° to 135°F for medium-rare or 140° to 150°F for medium, about 15 minutes for medium-rare or 20 minutes for medium. Remove from the oven, transfer the lamb to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.