In preparing this recipe for Carre d’ agneau (rack of lamb), two traditions were brought together in honor of the famous Pauillac lamb, which is used to make this dish. A specialty of Médoc, Pauillac lamb is a very high quality product, tender and delicious and would almost suffice in itself. Pauillac is a commune, which used to be an old port city that played an important role in the spice trade. So in this recipe, the Chef brought together vineyard raised Pauillac lamb and spices from the spice trade.
These lambs are slaughtered after 75 days, which means they never grazed. They were raised exclusively on their mother’s milk. In addition, the mothers of these lambs have the habit of grazing between vine plants and on the Médoc marshes after the grape harvest. The result is lamb raised to have delicate and light-colored meat with a distinctively nutty taste.
To make this recipe, you need a loin of lamb or carre d’ agneu terre, which usually has six ribs (three on each side). To make the crust, you need egg, brown bread crumbs made from toasted bread, caraway, cinnamon, fresh coriander, chervil, garlic, and vine leaves. The breadcrumbs and spices are mixed together to make a coating for the lamb. The lamb is first seared on all sides to seal in its moisture and keep it juicy and tender. It is then dipped in the beaten eggs, completing covering its flesh so that the bread crumbs and spice mixture adheres to the meat. And then the lamb is completely covered with the breadcrumb and spices mixture and cooked in the oven with aromatic vegetables including vine leaves, tomatoes, and turnip. The result is a juicy tender lamb with incredible aroma. Serve this main dish with a bottle of red Chateau Lynch-Bages, which hails from the Pauillac region, for an exceptionally romantic dinner.
Begin by finely chopping the herbs. In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, minced herbs, chopped garlic, and caraway.
Season the loin with salt and pepper and sear in a frying pan with some oil. Start on the skin side. Add a sprig of thyme for some flavor.
Beat the eggs. Evenly coat the seared lamb with the beaten eggs. Cover the entire lamb meat with the breading mixture, which has to cover the fat on the loin completely. Place the lamb back in the saucepan and add aromatic garnish: vine leaf, tomatoes, and turnip. Cook in the oven.
Put the vegetables on the plate. Arrange the lamb in the center. Pour the sauce from the lamb juice around the dish.