Rack of Lamb
- An 8 bone rack of lamb, Frenched
- A tub of store-bought basil pesto, reserving 2 tablespoons for the risotto
- Panko bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil spray
Season the lamb with salt and pepper and spray with olive oil Pam. Sear the rack on all sides in a preheated cast iron pan over high heat. Remove the rack of lamb from the frying pan and smear the meat all over with the pesto. (You probably won't need the whole tub, depending on its size, so be careful not to let any leftover pesto come into contact with the lamb if you want to use the leftovers for another purpose.) Press the bread crumbs into the pesto.
Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast at 350 for 15 minutes and finish with 5 minutes under the broiler for medium-rare. Let the crust brown, but don't let it burn. Remove the rack of lamb to a cutting board, tent with foil, and allow to rest at least 10 minutes before carving.
Rice Cooker Green Pea Risotto
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1 cup frozen petite peas
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3 tablespoons water
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1 cup Arborio rice
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1 shallot, finely minced
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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2 tablespoons basil pesto
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10 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
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1/2 cup heavy cream
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1 cup white wine
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3 cups organic, low-sodium chicken stock
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butter
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Parmesan cheese, freshly shaved
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salt and white pepper
Combine peas and water in a microwave-proof bowl, loosely cover and cook on high for 4 minutes. Strain peas and reserve.
Combine 1/3 cup peas, pesto, basil leaves, and cream in a Cuisinart mini-prep food processor and puree until smooth.
Set a Cuisinart 4 cup rice cooker to the cook cycle and add 1 tablespoon butter. When butter is melted, add shallots and garlic. Cook 1 minute to soften and add rice. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Meanwhile, pour the wine into an microwave-proof measuring cup and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Add wine to rice cooker and stir with a wooden spoon.
Pour the chicken stock into a microwave-proof measuring cup and microwave on high 1 minute. When the rice has mostly absorbed the wine, add 1 cup of chicken stock and stir with a wooden spoon.
Check the rice occasionally and keep adding stock in one-third cup increments as needed. After adding another cup of stock, begin tasting the rice. When the kernels have begun to soften but are still pretty chewy in the center, add the pea puree and stir with the wooden spoon. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Add the reserved 2/3 cup whole peas when the rice is almost al dente. As the rice finishes cooking, add additional stock if necessary so that the risotto develops a creamy sauce. Just before serving, finish with a pat of butter and Parmesan cheese to taste.
Total cooking time is about 30 minutes.
A mature California Cabernet Sauvignon would not be amiss
