The Dish
Nice Rack
A lamb Wellington even Napoleon would love
Classic French cuisine is enjoying yet another buttery comeback. And no one makes it quite like Didier Leroy, the chef and owner of Didier, this city’s most unapologetically Gallic restaurant. His lamb Wellington is decadence wrapped in more decadence. While he makes his own puff pastry (a process that takes two days), he suggests buying a quality butter-based version. A word to the wise: take the Frenchman’s advice.
Ingredients
2 frenched racks Australian lamb (about 10 oz/300 g each)
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp black olive tapenade
3 oz (75 g) soft goat cheese
1 450 g package frozen pre-rolled butter puff pastry, thawed
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
Directions
1. Cut each lamb rack crosswise into two equal pieces. Trim excess fat from each piece and pat dry.
2. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet on high heat. Sear lamb racks for three to four minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove them from skillet and cool completely.
3. Arrange lamb racks bony side down (ribs should curve downward). Spread tapenade over the meaty portion of lamb racks.
4. Cut goat cheese into four slices. Place one round on each lamb rack, pressing so that cheese adheres to lamb.
5. Lay one sheet of pastry on work surface and cut in half. Brush edges with egg yolk.
6. Place one lamb rack bony side down in centre of one piece of pastry so that long edge of pastry aligns with where rib bones protrude from meaty part of rack. Fold pastry over lamb rack to enclose it completely,
sealing edges well. With floured fingers, pinch pastry edges around rib bones to seal them, letting bones protrude from pastry.
7. Place pastry-wrapped lamb rack bony side up (ribs should curve upward) on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with remaining egg yolk. Repeat with remaining lamb racks.
8. Bake at 425° F 20 to 23 minutes until pastry is golden brown (lamb will be medium rare). Serve at once.
Makes 4 servings
Photograph by Edward Pond
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