Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Potato Dauphinoise
- 800 g starchy potatoes, peeled
- 300 ml heavy cream
- 300 ml whole milk
- 2 garlic, smashed
- 100 g gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- 20 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 g nutmeg, freshly grated
- 6 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Rack of Lamb
- 800 g rack of lamb, french trimmed
- 30 ml olive oil
- 3 garlic, minced
- 5 g fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 5 g fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 10 g kosher salt
- 4 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Generously grease a medium baking dish with the softened butter.
Slice the peeled potatoes into uniform 3mm rounds using a mandoline slicer or sharp knife. Do not wash the slices, as the natural starches are needed to thicken the sauce.
In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, whole milk, smashed garlic, nutmeg, 6g kosher salt, and 2g black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then immediately remove from heat and let infuse for 5 minutes.
Arrange the potato slices in the prepared baking dish in overlapping, shingled layers. Pour the infused cream mixture through a fine mesh sieve directly over the potatoes. Discard the strained garlic.
Sprinkle the freshly grated gruyere cheese evenly over the top layer of the cream-soaked potatoes.
Bake the potatoes at 180°C/350°F for 60 minutes until the top is deeply golden brown and the potatoes offer no resistance when pierced with a paring knife. Remove from oven and let rest, then increase the oven temperature to 200°C/400°F.
While the potatoes are resting, score the fat caps of the lamb racks lightly in a crosshatch pattern. Rub the lamb evenly with olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, 10g kosher salt, and 4g black pepper.
Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Place the lamb racks fat-side down and sear for 4 minutes until a deep brown crust forms. Flip and sear the underside for 1 minute.
Transfer the skillet with the lamb into the 200°C/400°F oven. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 54°C/130°F for medium-rare.
Remove the lamb from the skillet to a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Slice between the rib bones into individual chops and serve alongside the rested potato dauphinoise.
Chef's Notes
- Never rinse the sliced potatoes. The surface starch is exactly what thickens the milk and cream into a luxurious sauce.
- Resting the dauphinoise is non-negotiable. Straight from the oven, it will be soup. A 20 to 30 minute rest allows the starches to set, making clean slices possible.
- Scoring the lamb fat prevents the chops from curling under high heat and allows the rendered fat to self-baste the lean meat underneath.
- Carryover cooking is significant with rack of lamb. If you want a final temperature of 57C (medium), pull it at 52C.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store lamb and potatoes in separate airtight containers.
Reheating: Reheat potatoes in a 160C/320F oven for 20 minutes. Gently warm lamb in the same oven for 5-8 minutes to avoid overcooking.
