Rack of Lamb with pan roasted fennel, cauliflower puree, pickled mushrooms, blueberry balsamic sauce and herb salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 rack of lamb – (French trimmed)
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 pint blueberries
• 115g cinnamon cap mushrooms
• 1 head of cauliflower
• Balsamic vinegar
• Fresh ginger
• 1 bunch of fresh
• Pea shoots
• Mint
• Parsley
• Basil
• Micro greens

CAULIFLOWER PUREE:

Wash and cut cauliflower into large chunks, cover with water and boil until soft.  Blend until smooth, adding butter and 1 clove of garlic while blending. Optional, add 1 tbsp of chopped oregano.

PICKLED MUSHROOMS:

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp pickling spices
• 1 tsp salt
• 115g pkg mushrooms

Bring pickling liquid to a boil over medium heat, once sugar is dissolved and it starts to boil, add in mushrooms. Gently simmer until tender.  Remove from heat and cool.

BLUEBERRY BALSAMIC SAUCE:

• ¼ cup water
• 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 2 inch knob of grated fresh ginger

Place all ingredients into a saucepan and reduce on medium heat. Once reduced down to half remove from heat and cool, leaving the berries whole.

LAMB:

Preheat oven to 350. Season rack of lamb on all sides with salt and pepper. Over med-high heat (in cast iron pan if you have it) sear the rack on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Remove from pan and place on baking tray and toss in the oven for 20 minutes for a medium-rare cook, bake longer if desired. Once done, remove from oven and cover to rest for least 5 minutes before serving.

FENNEL:

Cut fennel bulb from top to bottom in 3-4 large slabs, ensuring the layers are still attached to the bottom to keep it held together. In pan used for searing lamb, over a low-medium heat,  place slabs of fennel face down and pan roast on stovetop, flipping occasionally until brown and tender.

Recipe created by Crissie Brenton