The holiday entertaining season is just starting to kick into gear - not that there's much to celebrate this year, at least financially. With any luck, you can still afford to host intimate dinner parties at home for a few friends. The holidays are not a time to watch those calories, which is a good thing because the following dishes are rich and indulgent. Serve the lamb and tartiflette with haricot verts or sugar peas sauteed with garlic.
Rack of lamb with herb, garlic and anchovy crust (pictured)
Simon Hopkinson is widely credited for having popularised the pairing of anchovies and lamb with the leg of lamb recipe in the book Roast Chicken and Other Stories. Here, the anchovy is pounded with other ingredients and used in the crust that coats the rack. The taste is quite subtle; it just adds an elusive, rich umami (savoury) flavour.
Ask your butcher to french the ribs by trimming the meat and fat from the tips of the bone. To facilitate carving, the butcher should also chine the racks by removing the backbone.
30ml cooking oil
2 racks of lamb, six ribs each (or for individual servings, buy four racks with three ribs each)
About 30 grams Dijon mustard
