Recipe provided by | Executive Chef Nicholas Stefanelli
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
American Lamb racks, frenched (save trimmings), 2 racks, 8 chops each cut into double chops
8 Garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 Shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 Cup dry white wine
Kosher salt to taste
Long, thin parsnips with tops 8 (or 8 parsnips plus 1 bunch parsley)
1 Tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
8 slices (about 6 ounces) Prosciutto di Parma
3 Fresh bay leaves
1 Stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
DIRECTIONS
METHOD:
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add the lamb trimmings and garlic; roast at 425ºF until garlic is golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer pieces of meat to a plate; set aside. Add shallots to rendered fat and garlic; roast until shallots are golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove pot from oven; transfer garlic to the plate with lamb trimmings. Place pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add wine, using a wooden spoon to stir and scrape up browned bits from pan bottom; simmer until wine is reduced by two-thirds, about 2 minutes. Return roasted meat to the pot, saving garlic for later; pour water over meat just to cover, bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 45 minutes. Turn off heat; strain just through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl half-full with ice, cover with water and set aside. Remove parsley tops from parsnips; remove leaves from stems, discard stems, and set leaves aside. Peel parsnips; blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer to the ice water bath to stop the cooking. Transfer parsnips to a towel-lined sheet pan; set aside.
Place chops on a sheet pan; season both sides with black pepper. Place a few parsley leaves on top of each chop; wrap a piece of prosciutto around each chop so the seam is on the underside and the meat of the chop is completely enclosed. (Do not cover the bone.) Finely chop 2 tablespoons of remaining parsley; set aside.
Lightly coat a large skillet with nonstick pan spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add chops (if using a smaller pan, cook chops in 2 batches), parsley-side down; cook until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn chops over; add butter, bay leaves and reserved roasted garlic (if cooking in batches, add half of the butter, bay leaves and garlic with first batch, and remaining with second batch). Cook until chops are browned, 6 to 8 minutes; turn chops over again to cook to medium-rare, about 8 minutes longer. Remove chops from pan, place on a large platter, cover and set aside.
Place blanched parsnips in the pan; brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total.Pour in reserved lamb jus; bring to a simmer.Reduce heat to medium; simmer for 1 minute.Add chopped parsley.Serve parsnips and jus alongside the chops.
Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board