Wreck of Lamb

I have watched the price of lamb this spring and now that it's on sale I decided to try a rack of lamb. I've never made anything like this so I was totally out of my environment. I've never been served rack of lamb either so I really had nothing to go on. I had to french it which I didn't do quite correctly, I should have taken more white sheath off. To top it off the instructions I used said to roast the rack at 400ºF for 7 minutes then turn the heat down to 350ºF for  a further 7 minutes.

I thought 14 minutes in a hot oven would be plenty so I didn't use a meat thermometer. What a mistake. The lamb was raw. Completely raw.  Whoever wrote that recipe eats raw lamb. There is no other conclusion.  The exterior of the lamb was barely coloured and the inside was cold. I cut three chops off before getting to the middle to find it cold. I stuck it back in the oven to finish. Unfortunately the potatoes and vegetables were ready so they had to sit and get cold or dry out staying warm while the lamb cooked.

Another problem I ran into was the spine. It was extremely difficult to cut through it and I couldn't find the joints. I'll want that answered before I try again. I made new potatoes with butter and chives and peas and carrots with a few of the snow peas grown on the deck. The potatoes weren't harmed by the wait but the vegetables were past their prime by the time we ate.  I made a mint sauce with vinegar and sugar which was quite nice on my nearly raw lamb.

The next evening we went to the Laughing Oyster for dinner and Chef Dave gave me some good pointers so I will try again, probably soon.  But the injury needs to scab over first. On the bright side Dave did accept my offer to help him do catering this summer. He's great to work with, good natured and he provides a steady stream of knowledge as we're working. No telling where this will go except my food should take another step up the complexity ladder.