Distinctly Montana Magazine

h T K itchen Gu e y in Ji m 2 0 0 5 w a s gr a , mon na m y e c heta n a���sd t he f o f ye a r! Seduction Dinner Baby Rack of Lamb T he first time I made rack of lamb, I had just begun courting my wife. I was not in the culinary field and I had no idea that one day I actually would be a chef. I simply followed a recipe in a food magazine in a doctor���s office. The dinner was a success, so much so that such my wife and I now refer to it as ���The Seduction Dinner.��� Chef Jim Gray By If you are capable of following directions, as I did, your rack of lamb will come out perfectly, too. In restaurants that have it on the menu, there is usually a premium price, adding to the mythology that this is a highly complex dish. It���s not. And if you show up on the right day at your local farmers market, you may be able to score some fresh Montana lamb that for me is better than most of the commercially marketed pre-packaged racks ��� imported from New Zealand. The most complex part of making rack of lamb is the task known as ���frenching��� the bones. That���s the process whereby you remove all of the fat and sinew clinging to DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL w w w. d i s t i n c t lymo nt a na .co m w w w. d i s t i n c t ly mo nt a na .co m the bones and it���s a task that requires patience and a very sharp knife, for there is a membrane that adheres to the bone that will challenge you the most. Most racks of lamb are cooked and served with a crust of some sort. Many restaurants typically offer herb-crusted rack. My recipe incorporates many of the herbs used in Provence ��� thyme, rosemary and oregano, along with garlic and shallots that I add to toasted bread crumbs. One technique that I���ve modified since the first time I made this dish is the incorporation of a little mayonnaise with Dijon mustard when I make the ���paste��� that the bread Love lamb? See step-by-step pix of Jim���s recipe at: www.distinctlymontana.com/lamb132 37

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