Rack of Lamb

On April 22, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes12 Comments

Lamb is one those ingredients that is quite common around the world and can be used in a variety of dishes. Rack of lamb makes for an elegant presentation and is very tasty if cooked properly. One of the keys to cooking a successful lamb is to make sure that you don’t undercook or overcook the meat. Having an instant-read thermometer handy is a key to making sure that you cook the lamb to a medium temperature with a pink interior. Lamb can also be a little gamey, so using a flavorful rub is a way to make the flavor a little more mild. We really enjoyed this as a wonderful weekend dinner.

INGREDIENTS

Rack of Lamb – frenched
3/4 tbsp Kosher Salt
1 tbsp Dried Rosemary
2 cloves Roasted Garlic (or 1 clove Garlic)
1/8 cup Dijon Mustard
1/8 cup Stone Ground Mustard
1/2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small food processor, combine the salt, rosemary, garlic, Dijon mustard, ground mustard, balsamic vinegar and pulse to form a thick paste. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Rub the fat-side of the lamb with the mustard and herb paste, spreading it evenly across the lamb. Let the lamb sit at room temperature with the rub for about 30 minutes. Place the lamb in a cast-iron skillet or roasting pat with the olive oil, bone-side down, and cook until the internal temperature reaches about 135 to 140 degrees. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into either double chops (2 bones per chop) or single chops and serve.

Tilapia with a Lemon-Tarragon Cream Sauce

On September 25, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn RecipesLeave a comment

When we’re traveling, we love eating at restaurants that use a lot of fresh herbs with an abundance of taste. People don’t often use fresh herbs as much as they should at home, but we try to as often as possible. We grow several different herbs and enjoy using them in many of the recipes that we prepare. One of the herbs that we have been growing is Mexican tarragon and we wanted to find a way to incorporate that into one of our meals. We decided to make a cream sauce and have it with some breaded tilapia. It was a very light and refreshing dish.

INGREDIENTS

3 Tilapia Filets
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Large Egg – whisked
1 tbsp Whole Milk
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
1 clove Fresh Garlic – minced
2 to 3 sprigs of Fresh Tarragon
Juice of 1 Lemon
3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 pint Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Strip the tarragon off of the stems and chop the leaves. Combine the cream, butter, lemon juice, chicken stock, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and 2 sprigs of chopped tarragon in a small sauce pan and heat just to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low. Cook until the sauce reduces and thickens. Create a dredging station with three shallow bowls. Put the flour on the first bowl, whisk the egg and milk together on the second bowl, and mix the panko with one of the sprigs of tarragon, the garlic powder, and salt and pepper in the third bowl. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet to medium-high heat. Dredge the tilapia through the dredging station, coating with flour first, then the egg wash, and finally coating them with bread crumbs. Sauté the fish in the skillet until the breading browns and the fish is fully cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with the cream sauce and your favorite side dishes.

Tilapia with Tarragon Cream Sauce and Roasted Beets

Roasted Rack of Lamb

On April 24, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes1 Comment

Lamb is something that you’ll find on a lot of menus throughout Europe, but for some reason it isn’t that common in the United States. When you do find it, it is often very expensive and the portions are small. Not everyone enjoys lamb since it can taste a little gamey, but we like the flavor. In our opinion, it needs to be cooked to no more than medium-rare, otherwise it can get a little tough. Rack of lamb can be an elegant meal and we asked the butcher to “French cut” the bones, which is simply removing the meat and fat from the bone tips. Some people like mint jelly with lamb, but we prefer to simply roast it with herbs like rosemary and thyme. This recipe is for two, but one of the nice things about rack of lamb is that the recipe can easily adjusted by adding more ribs (chops).

INGREDIENTS

2 to 3 lbs of Rack of Lamb (about 4 to 5 ribs or chops)
4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary
1 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Granulated Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Trim some of the fat off of the rack of lamb, leaving about a quarter inch of fat. Combine room temperature butter with the rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Slather the fat cap of the lamb with the butter mixture. The butter just adds some additional fat to help keep the lamb tender and adds additional flavor. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Heat an oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with a non-stick coating spray. If you have French cut the lamb, wrap the bone tips with aluminum foil to keep them from burning in the oven. Place the lamb in the oven and roast it for 10 minutes. Then turn the heat down to 300 degrees and continue to roast the lamb for an additional 20 to 30 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees. Let the lamb rest for 15 to 20 minutes and then cut the rack into individual chops and serve, usually two chops per person.