SERVES 4
Sous vide cooking, even though time consuming, does keep the meat moist and succulent. While this dish can be prepared by cooking fully in an oven, I prefer to cook it sous vide style and finish it by broiling in an oven. For this preparation, the wait is worth it. Usually lamb dishes are served with mint jelly or sauce. However, I find that green mango chutney is a perfect accompaniment for this spicy mint crusted rack of lamb. Enjoy with a full-bodied cabernet sauvignon or a plummy zinfandel.
2 racks of lamb, about 1 lb each, trimmed of any excess fat
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp ginger, paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tsp, garam masala
½ tsp, freshly ground pepper
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chili powder
1 tsp salt, adjust to taste
½ cup coarse breadcrumbs
1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 green chili, finely chopped
1 In a mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, garam masala, ground pepper, turmeric powder, chili powder and ½ tsp of salt (adjust to taste) and mix well to create a marinade. Spread the marinade over the two racks of lamb to uniformly coat the meaty portion of the racks. Do not coat the exposed ribs.
2 Place each rack of lamb in a separate plastic bag designed for sous vide cooking. Pump the air out of each bag using a sous vide vacuum sealer and check to ensure each bag is fully sealed. Let the racks marinate in the bag for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
3 Preheat the sous vide water bath to 131 °F (55 °C). When the water reaches the target temperature, lower the bagged racks of lamb into the water bath. Ensure that the bag is fully submerged in the water. Cook for 2 hours.
4 When the lamb is cooking, prepare the paste for the crust. In a food processor, blend the cilantro, mint leaves, cumin seeds, green chili and ½ tsp of salt (adjust to taste) to form a fine paste. Set aside.
5 After 2 hours, remove the bags from the water bath and let the racks of lamb rest for about 5 minutes. Remove the racks from the bags and place them on a platter. Uniformly coat the meaty portion of the racks with the paste prepared in Step 4. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the coated portion of the racks to form a uniform layer. Gently pat the breadcrumbs so that they stick well to the coated meat. Cover the exposed ribs with aluminum foil so that they do not burn during the broiling in the next step. Transfer the racks to a baking pan.
6 Turn on the broiler in the oven to a medium setting. Place the baking pan with the racks of lamb under the broiler and cook till the crumbs turn brown, about 5 minutes. Check periodically to ensure that the crumbs do not burn. Carefully turn the racks over and continue to cook under the broiler till the crumbs on the other side turn brown too, another 5 minutes. The cooking time for each side will vary depending on the make of the oven. So please adjust the cooking times accordingly.
7 Transfer the racks of lamb to a cutting board or serving platter and let them rest for about 5 minutes. Cut the lamb between the ribs into separate bone-in chops.
Serve immediately with mint jelly or green mango chutney.
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