[MozartLover]

[carlo3b]

Hey, my dear FRiend, how have you been, so good to see you.. :)

HOT DATE RACK OF LAMB WITH MAGICAL SAUCE

• 3 whole lamb racks, 3 to 4 lbs. each, split and chined, then "frenched" or 6 half-racks


FOR THE AROMATIC SAUCE

• ½ lb lamb from scraps and bones of the parings from the racks
• ½ cup all-purpose flour for dredging
• 3 ripe Roma tomatoes
• 1 Tbs. olive oil, plus 2 Tbs. for cooking the lamb racks
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup port wine
• 1 head of garlic, cut and split across
• 1 branch fresh thyme (a must)
• ½ tsp cardamom seed
• ½ tsp coriander seed
• ½ tsp cumin seed
• 3 cups prepared chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste


FOR THE HOT DATE MARINADE

• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 chipotle chili (or ¼ tsp chili pepper flakes, or cayenne)
• 1 cup water


1) Preparing the sauce: Dredge the lamb scraps in the flour.
2) Heat a 4 quart sauce pot to high heat, add the olive oil and the lamb scraps, and brown them well.
3) Add the three tomatoes, and cook for five minutes.
4) Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then add the port wine and reduce to a syrupy consistency.
5) Add the garlic, thyme, spices, the chicken stock and water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for two hours, reducing the sauce until you are left with approximately one and one half cups of liquid.
Season and strain.

6) Meanwhile, prepare the marinade. Combine the dates, water, and chipotle in a small sauce pot, and bring to a boil. 7) Lower to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool slightly. Purée in the blender, and set aside until completely cool. When cool, liberally baste the lamb racks with 2/3 of the date marinade. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
8) Wrap the bones on the lamb racks with aluminum foil; this will prevent them from burning in the oven.
9) Season the lamb racks liberally with salt. Heat a twelve-inch skillet (with an ovenproof handle) to high heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, and place the lamb racks, meat side down into the pan.
Cook for three minutes, turn the lamb racks over onto their fatty sides, and baste the meat side with the remaining date marinade. Place the entire pan in the oven, and cook for fifteen minutes for medium rare.

Remove the racks from the oven, and let them rest for five minutes. Divide each rack into four chops (or the half-racks into two chops each), and serve two chops per person with the aromatic sauce.
Serves 6 hardy appetites.