Rack of Lamb with Tangerine-Chile Sauce
At first glance these eye-catching chile peppers look like red jalapeno. However, they have a different flavor and are less meaty than Jalapeno. Red Fresnos are great roasted and added to salsas. Try grilling them alongside your steaks or in kabobs.
When roasting these they should char, blister, and become soft. Try substituting these in your favorite chile recipes.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
One 2 1/2-pound frenched rack of lamb
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated tangerine zest
1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice
1 small fresh red chile, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Add the lamb to the skillet, fat side down, and cook over moderately high heat until richly browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the lamb fat side up and cook for 2 minutes longer. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the rack for about 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 125° for medium-rare meat. Transfer the lamb to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.
Discard the fat in the skillet. Add the tangerine zest and juice and the chile to the skillet and boil over moderately high heat until the juice is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and boil until reduced by one-fourth, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and swirl in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Carve the lamb into chops and arrange on warmed plates. Spoon the sauce over the lamb and serve.
Serves 2-3.
Recipe by Marcia Kiesel, via foodandwine.com