This rack of lamb recipe from gifted chef Pascal Aussignac comes served with a rustic ratatouille. The vegetables in ratatouille are often cooked in stages to add texture to final result. The rack of lamb can either be grilled or put on the barbecue; it will taste spectacular either way
Method
1.
Make a marinade for the lamb rack by mixing 4 tbsp of olive oil, ½ a head of garlic and a generous amount of salt and pepper to taste. Marinate the rack of lamb, cover with cling film and leave to rest for 4 hours or overnight in the fridge
2.
To start the ratatouille, preheat the oven to 80ºC. Blanch the tomatoes for few seconds in boiling salted water to take the skin off, then plunge the tomatoes in cold water. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, remove the core and pulp using a small sharp knife
Peeling tomatoes
At the bottom of each tomato, cut a small cross into the skin. Then plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for 20 seconds, then into iced water, and the outer skin will pull away easily
3.
Place the tomato flesh in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper and 1 tbsp of caster sugar. Stir well
4.
Spread the tomatoes on a baking tray and add 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 bay leaf and ½ a head of garlic - slightly crushed open. Cook the tomatoes in the oven at 80°C for 2 hours. Once cooked, remove the garlic cloves and herbs and cut the tomatoes in half
5.
Sauté the cubes of aubergine in a pan over a medium heat with olive oil, 3 chopped cloves of garlic, sage leaves and salt and pepper. Stop cooking when they are tender and cover with a lid to keep them moist. Remove the sage and reserve
6.
Cook the peppers over a medium heat in a sauté pan with the chopped onions, balsamic vinegar, a dash of water, 1 tablespoon of caster sugar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary and salt and pepper
7.
Once suitably sautéed, remove from the heat and allow to cool in the pan with the lid on. Reserve
8.
Dice the courgettes into 1cm cubes and sauté in a pan over a medium heat with 3 cloves of peeled and chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 sprigs of chopped thyme, salt and pepper. Cook gently until lightly coloured and soft. Allow to cool in the pan with a lid on and reserve
9.
To cook the lamb rack, remove the lamb from the marinade and preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. On a hot griddle pan or barbecue, place the lamb skin-side down and seal until it starts to crisp. Grill with care on all sides before placing the lamb on a roasting tray, covering with the remaining marinade
Alternative to chargrill or barbecue
If you don’t have a chargrill or barbecue, you can achieve similar results in a pan
10.
Finish in the oven for about 10 minutes to achieve a medium-rare finish. To check the temperature of the lamb, simply stick a small knife into the flesh, then put it carefully on your lips. If it is warm then the meat is pink and ready. Strain the pan juices and set aside the lamb to rest for 4-5 minutes
11.
Combine all of the ratatouille ingredients in a large saucepan and reheat gently until warm
12.
Serve the ratatouille onto plates and place the pieces of lamb on top. Drizzle with the strained pan juices
Send us feedback on this Rack of lamb recipe