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Rack of Lamb on Creamed Potatoes and Wilted Spinach

My concern about serving a great steak or rack of lamb (aside from the expense) – is adjusting the cooking temperature to meet everyone’s preference. That is more in the wheelhouse of a restaurant chef.  We home cooks need to the balance our guests’ preferences and our sanity. If you feel the urge to club someone over the head with the frying pan used to re-finish their meat which was returned as “not done enough” or “gross and bloody” – while yours is congealing on your untouched plate – your evening has crashed and burned. Best to avoid this.  
I suggest you assemble the carnivores in your life – the ones with sharp and pronounced eye teeth – who tend to look a bit hungry all the time.  They are what we call, “real meat eaters”.   
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 8 bone rack of lamb approximately 1.5 to 1.8 lbs.
  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 2 tbs Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary or thyme – or dried
  • 1 tbs melted butter
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

Sear the lamb (do this step at least 1 hour before your guest arrive)

  • Use a paper towel to dry off the lamb.
  • Turn on your exhaust hood on high.
  • Over high heat, bring a skillet to a smoking-hot temperature.
  • Add the vegetable oil to the skillet and swirl carefully to coat the pan.
  • Lower the lamb – meat side down – into the pan.
  • Sear on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Using tongs, sear each end for one minute
  • Flip and sear the underside for 2 minutes.
  • Remove the lamb from the skillet and place it on a baking sheet.
  • Cover the lamb with a thin layer of Dijon mustard.
  • Then salt and pepper the lamb

Prepare the bread crumb topping

  • Combine the panko breadcrumbs, melted butter, herbs and salt and pepper
  • Cover the top of the rack with the breadcrumb mixture.

Finish cooking the lamb in the oven

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees 1 hour prior to when you want to sit down to the main course.
  • Bake for 25 minutes for rare, and 30 for medium rare.
  • If you are more comfortable with a meat thermometer -then follow the instructions on the thermometer to cook the lamb to the temperature you prefer.
  • Let the meat rest for 10 minutes while you heat your creamed potatoes and wilted spinach and warm the plates.
  • Cut three ribs per serving.
  • Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, reduced balsamic