Crispy Rack of Lamb with Honey & Mascarpone Sauce

After some careful consideration of what to make for our Valentine's Day supper, we decided on Rack of Lamb. This recipe came courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis from the Food Network, and boy oh boy was it ever good! It was my first time cooking rack of lamb and I was blown away by how easy it was. We served it with garlic mashed potatoes and carrots that were suateed in the same pan in which the lamb had been seared. We deglazed the pan with some chardonnay (a.k.a. added liquid to the reheated pan to get all the tasty bits off the bottom), heaved in a bit of salt and pepper and produced some of the yummiest carrots I've ever eaten. So good. What better way to spend Valentine's day than dressed in your finest comfy clothes, drinking copious amounts of wine, and feasting on a gourmet level home-cooked meal with the love of your life ;)

Ingredients:

• 3 (1.5lb) Racks of Lamb *we used one rack, given it was just the two of us
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
• 2 tbsp Herbs de Provence 

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche - we prepped our own by adding 2 tbsp of buttermilk to 2 cups of heavy cream - this mixture will need to set for 24 hours.
• 3 tbsp Honey
• 3/4 tbsp ground Cumin
• 2 tbsp chopped Fresh Mint Leaves
• 1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

Instructions:

1) Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Meanwhile, heat skillet over high heat.

2) Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the lamb. Season with salt, pepper and herbs de Provence. Sear the lamb for roughly 5 minutes on each side until nicely crusted. 

3) Place lamb in shallow roasting pan or on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes for medium-rare. We opted for 30 minutes as I'm more of a medium-well fan. Allow the lamb to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

4) In the meantime, prep the sauce. Combine the creme fraiche, honey, cumin, and mint. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until just combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Note: Since I didn't want to mess with the measurements, we made the sauce as directed. There was a nice bit left over, but we found it great on Sweet Potato Burgers we made later in the week ;)

5) Cut the lamb between the bones into individual chops and serve with the sauce.

This recipe was filled with so much deliciousness. From the lamb to the sauce to the sides, it was a fabulous Valentine's supper! It's so easy to make, and definitely one of those recipes to keep on hand if you're looking to impress.

Stay tuned for the recipe for our delicious dessert - Lemon Panna Cotta with Wild Blueberry Sauce *drool* Hope your Valentine's was as fabulous as ours :)