Delicious Lamb Rack With Pure Kangaroo Island Honey

Supplied by Katie Allen, Executive Chef
Penneshaw Pub (Part of the Seafront Group)

Katie shares this dish with us - from her kitchen to yours. She says this dish is best enjoyed with friends and family, and a good quality bottle of KI red wine.

Ingredients

For the potatoes

• 1kg baby potatoes
• 1/2 bunch thyme or rosemary

For the puree

• 1 bunch of carrots (about 500g)
• ¾ cup of hot water
• 4tbs Kangaroo Island olive oil
• 1 tbs garam masala, toasted
• 2 tbs Kangaroo Island honey
• Salt and Pepper

For the crumb

• 80g pistachios, toasted
• 10g KI Garlic granules
• 1/3rd bunch of parsley
• 3 spring onions
• 1/3rd bunch oregano
• Zest and juice of 3 lemons
• 3 tbs of KI olive oil
• 3/4 cup hot blanching liquid
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Lamb

• 400g Kangaroo Island Lamb Rack

Method

For the potatoes:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Starting with your potatoes, leave whole and wash
3. Lightly pierce your potatoes on all sides with a fork
4. Place in a metal steamer saucepan, over simmering heat for 12 minutes or until you can easily push a skewer through your potatoes
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
6. Once manageable to the touch, lightly crush your potatoes between a folded dry tea towel. This method allows the excess steam and moisture to escape, so you get a fluffy, crispy roasted potato.
7. Toss potatoes in an oiled, deep dish baking tray with salt, pepper and your thyme or rosemary.
8. Leave aside, but keep the hot water to a low simmer, you’ll use it later to blanch your Broccolini later.

For the puree

1. In a pan over a low heat, lightly toast your Garam Masla until it becomes aromatic, but not too dark.
2. Peel and rough chop your carrots and place them in a pot of water.
3. Gently bring them to the boil, and then reduce to a medium heat, and allow to simmer until carrots are soft.
4. Strain carrots and keep the blanching liquid.
5. In a food processor, add carrots, Garam Masla, olive oil, honey and salt and pepper. Blitz.
6. Add your hot blanching liquid. Blitz again.
7. Check your consistency. For thicker puree, add less water, for thinner add until you’re happy with the product.
8. Blitz until smooth, remove and set aside. If you don’t have a food processor, don’t worry! You can roast your carrots with these ingredients and they will be just as yummy! Just leave out the water and roast with your potatoes.

For the pistachio crumb

1. Roughly chop the pistachios
2. Add them to a lined baking tray with the garlic granules and roast in the oven for 3 minutes. Set aside to cool
3. Roughly chop parsley and oregano, add to a bowl or container
4. Zest and juice your lemons. Add to the bowl.
5. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, and the pistachios and garlic.
6. Mix ingredients well, set aside.

For the lamb rack

1. In a heavy based pan, place your lamb rack fat side down, and cook on a medium heat until golden brown. This will allow the fat to render out of your lamb rack.
2. Pour off some of the excess fat in to a ceramic or metal bowel to cool. Optionally, add some of that lamb fat to your potatoes before roasting for extra flavour.
3. Once you have some colour on your lamb rack, move the pan in to the oven. For medium-rare lamb rack, roast at 200 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes.
4. Using a temperature probe, check your lamb. For medium-rare lamb, it should come out at about 58-60 degrees Celsius. If you’d like it cooked more or less, roast accordingly.
5. Your potatoes can go in at the same time as your lamb.
6. Rest your lamb for 5-8 minutes before carving. Use this time to open that bottle of KI red.
7. Just before serving, use the remaining hot water to blanch your broccolini.
8. Plate all ingredients and lightly spoon your pistachio crumb over the lamb. Add a swirl of The Figgery’s Sticky Fig syrup and dig in. Enjoy!