- Difficulty
- moderate
- Dinner
- January 18, 2017
Rack of Lamb with Spicy Cranberry Relish
Every fall, we try to jump on the cranberry bandwagon. Too many memories of cloyingly sweet, jiggly jelly make it hard, though. Once we discovered no-cook, chunky cranberry relishes, autumn holidays became a lot more festive.
The addition of jalapeño makes this ruby-red relish all the more appealing (for us, at least). Is a little heat ever a bad thing? We thought not.
PrintRack of Lamb with Spicy Cranberry Relish
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) fresh tangerine juice
- 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) canola or grapeseed oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 racks of lamb, about 21/2 lb (1.25 kg) each, trimmed and frenched
For the relish:
- 2 tangerines
- 1 cup (4 oz/125 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 large white onion, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup (3 fl oz/80 ml) rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup (1/4 oz/7 g) packed fresh mint leaves
- 1 small jalape?o chile, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large, shallow dish, combine the tangerine juice and oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the lamb and turn to coat the racks on all sides. Let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour, turning occasionally.
- Meanwhile, make the relish: Juice 1 of the tangerines and chop the other coarsely, skin and all, and remove any seeds. In a blender or food processor, combine the tangerine juice, chopped tangerine, cranberries, onion, vinegar, mint, and jalape?o and pur?e until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the sugar and kosher salt. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- If desired, wrap the ends of the bones with aluminum foil to keep them from burning. Arrange the lamb racks, bone side down, in a roasting pan. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the lamb away from the bone registers 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare, 15–20 minutes, or until done to your liking. Transfer the racks to a carving board and tent with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10–15 minutes.
- Cut the racks between the bones into individual chops. Arrange 2 or 3 chops per person on warmed individual plates, with the relish alongside. Serve right away.
