RACK OF LAMB
(Serves 6)

3 - 8 chop large eyed racks of domestic lamb, trimmed to the loin, bones fully exposed and scraped
1 cup lamb marinade
salt
6 cups spinach, well cleaned
2 ounces butter
2 cups lamb sauce
creamy feta potatoes

Lamb marinade
(Makes 1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup garlic, minced
zest of 2 lemons, finely chopped
1 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients. Make the marinade up to 2 weeks ahead and keep covered in the refrigerator.

Creamy Feta Potatoes
(Serves 6-8)

2 oz butter
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces imported Greek feta cheese, crumbled
6 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and covered with water to prevent discoloration
fresh cracked black pepper
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup bread crumbs

Melt 2 ounces of the butter in a saute pan. Add the diced onion and cook until soft but not browned. Add the minced garlic and cook one minute longer. Remove the cooked onions and garlic to a bowl and set aside to cool. When the mixture has reached room temperature add the crumbled feta and mix well. This mixture can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.

To make the gratin, set the oven at 350 degrees. To avoid discoloration, slice the potatoes one at a time, as you need them, to create each layer. Remove a potato from the water and slice it on the mandoline in 1/8" thick slices and line the bottom of a 8"x6"x2" baking dish or any similar available dish. Season the layer with pepper. Do not salt as the feta is salty enough. Add another layer of potatoes and season again with pepper. Cover with a layer of onion/feta mix. Pour over heavy cream just barely to the level of potato. Press down each layer as you create them -- the potatoes should be just sitting in the cream and not completely covered by it. Repeat the process two more times -- potatoes, seasoning, feta, cream -- and then top with a double layer of potato resulting in 8 layers of potato and 3 layers of onion/feta mix. When done, press down and make sure the potatoes are just barely sitting in the cream. The potatoes will give off water as they cook so it is important not to add too much liquid. Cover with foil and cook until cream is bubbling and, more importantly, until the potatoes in the center of the dish are fork tender, at least 1 hour. It is better to slightly overcook than undercook potatoes. Remove from the oven, top with a thin coating of bread crumbs. Return to the oven uncovered and cook until the crumbs are golden. Remove from the oven, recover with the foil and set aside in a warm place for the cream to set and thicken for at least 20 minutes. If cut into immediately, the cream would be too runny.

Lamb Merlot Sauce

1 lb. lamb scraps/stew meat with as little fat as possible
2 ounces olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 cup merlot
6 cups veal stock or lamb stock, if available
1 bouquet garni of rosemary, thyme and bay leaf
1/2 cup red pepper puree
salt
fresh cracked black pepper

Red Pepper Puree

2 ounces olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
2 red bell peppers, stem and seeds removed, coarsely chopped
2-3 ounces veal or lamb stock
1 tablespoon harissa

Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery and bell peppers and cook until all is soft, stirring occasionally. Puree for at least 2 minutes in a blender with 2-3 ounces stock and the harissa. Season with salt and pepper. The texture is not important at this point as the puree will be added to the lamb sauce and strained through a fine mesh chinois.

Roast the lamb scraps until well browned. Meanwhile, in a large sauce pot, heat the oil and add the onions, carrot and celery. Cook until the vegetables are lightly browned. Add the roasted lamb and deglaze the roasting pan with the merlot. Add the merlot and juices from the pan. Add the veal or lamb stock and bouquet garni, bring to a boil and then let simmer until reduced by 1/3 or until desired sauce consistency is reached. Make sure to skim as often as necessary to remove unwanted fat and impurities. Add about 1/2 cup of red pepper puree and strain all through a fine mesh chinois. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust with more red pepper puree, salt and pepper. If adding more red pepper puree, make sure to repass the sauce through the chinois. Keep warm until ready to use. The sauce can be made a day ahead and reheated.

To put together the lamb dish: Set the oven to 450 degrees. Rub each lamb rack with lamb marinade and season well with salt. Set the lamb on a roasting sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 20 minutes or so. Just before serving return to the oven and cook for 3-5 minutes longer for medium rare. It is hard to judge how long to cook the rack since ovens are different and rack size varies. What is important that the rack is allowed to rest after the first cooking to allow the heat to evenly penetrate the rack. The second cooking may vary in time depending on desired doneness and the rack should rest a moment again before serving.

Saute the spinach in the butter with a little water and salt. Heat the sauce. Cut the potatoes into 6 equal portions. Place a portion of potato at 2 o’clock and a pile of spinach at 10 o'clock. Cut each rack into 4 double chops and place two of the chops on each plate, the bones crossing at noon. Ladle about 2 ounces of sauce onto the plate and serve.

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