Herb-Roasted Rack of Lamb with Fageolet Gratin, Roasted Radicchio, and Tapenade
This lamb dish is saturated with the bold flavors of Provence—rosemary, thyme, garlic, olives, and capers. First the lamb is seared with broken sprigs of rosemary and thyme to infuse the meat with smoky, eucalyptus notes. Then it’s buried under plenty of garlic and herbs, roasted in the oven until medium-rare, and served with a sweet and creamy flageolet gratin, roasted radicchio, and black olive tapenade.
Season the lamb with the herbs, pepper, and garlic the night before. For extra smoky flavor, you could sear the lamb on the grill instead of in a pan. Either way, remember to let the meat rest before slicing it into chops. If you like, set up the gratin and bake it ahead of time. You can also roast the radicchio and make the tapenade in advance.
Ingredients
Roasted Radicchio
Flageolet Bean Gratin
Preparation
Step 1
Season the lamb with the thyme leaves and sprigs, rosemary leaves and sprigs, garlic, and cracked black pepper. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Step 2
Take the lamb out of the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking, to bring it to room temperature. After 30 minutes, season the lamb generously on all sides with salt. Reserve the garlic and herb sprigs.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Step 4
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 3 minutes. Swirl in 2 tablespoons olive oil and wait a minute or two, until the pan is very hot and almost smoking. Place the lamb racks in the pan, and sear them on all sides until they’re well browned and caramelized. (You will need to do this in batches.) As the meat sears, break up the rosemary and thyme sprigs and add them to the pan. They will sizzle and flavor the lamb as it cooks.
Step 5
Transfer the seared lamb to a roasting rack set in a roasting pan. Top with the seared herbs and reserved garlic. Roast in the oven 20 to 25 minutes, until the lamb is medium-rare; a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the eye will register 120°F. Let the lamb rest at least 8 minutes. Slice the lamb between the bones into chops.
Step 6
Arrange the roasted radicchio on a large warm platter, scatter the parsley leaves over the radicchio, and place the lamb chops on top. Spoon some tapenade ver the lamb, and serve the flageolet gratin and remaining tapenade on the side.
Roasted Radicchio
Step 7
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 8
Cut the radicchio in half lengthwise through the core. Place the halves on a cutting board, cut side down, and cut each half into four wedges, leaving the root end intact to hold the wedges together.
Step 9
Carefully toss the radicchio with the olive oil, vinegar, rosemary leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and lots of pepper. Let sit 15 minutes.
Step 10
Place the wedges snugly, cut side down, in a gratin dish. (Choose a dish in which the radicchio just fits; it won’t cook properly if there is too much empty space.) Roast 30 to 40 minutes, until the radicchio is tender, slightly crisp, and caramelized on top.
Flageolet Bean Gratin
Step 11
Heat a medium pot over high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil, and add the rosemary sprig and crumbled chile. Let them sizzle in the oil a minute. Add the diced onion, fennel, garlic, 1 tablespoon thyme, and the bay leaf, stirring a minute or two, until the onion is wilted. Add the flageolets, and cook a few more minutes, stirring to coat the beans with the oil.
Step 12
Cover with water by 3 inches, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to low, and place a paper towel over the beans to keep them under the surface.
Step 13
Simmer for 30 minutes, and then add 2 1/2 teaspoons salt to the beans. Continue cooking on a low simmer about 1 hour, until the beans are tender. As the beans cook, add water as necessary (but don’t add too much—you want these juices to be rich and a little starchy, since they will be an important part of the finished gratin). Remove the beans from the heat, and let them cool in their juices. Taste for seasoning.
Step 14
While the beans cook, caramelize the sliced onions. Heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over high heat for a minute. Swirl in the remaining 3 tablespoons olive-oil, and add the sliced onions, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. Cook 6 minutes, stirring often. Turn the heat down to medium, and stir in 1 tablespoon butter. Cook 15 minutes, stirring often and scraping with a wooden spoon, until the onions start to caramelize. Turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are a deep golden brown. Spread the onions on the bottom of a 9-by-9-inch (or equivalent) gratin dish. Spoon the flageolets into the gratin dish with a good amount of their cooking juices. The beans will expand a little as they bake, so fill the gratin dish only three-quarters full (reserve any extra beans for use in another dish).
Step 15
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Step 16
Toss the breadcrumbs in a medium bowl with the remaining teaspoon thyme and the chopped parsley. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook about 3 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter browns and smells nutty. Pour the brown butter over the breadcrumbs (make sure to scrape up all the brown bits), let cool a minute or two, and toss to combine.
Step 17
Sprinkle the brown butter breadcrumbs over the beans, and bake 1 1/2 hours, until the gratin is bubbling, nicely browned, and crispy on top.
