Description
Allioli is the national sauce in Catalonia that accompanies practically any grilled meat. Catalans also have a sweet tooth, and you often find traditional recipes like codfish with honey, or meats cooked with fruits. Honey allioli is a traditional combination that goes perfectly with lamb. Even with its garlic flavor, you'll find this dish is incredibly popular with kids too.

-Chef José Andrés, author of Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America

Ingredients

• 1 rack of lamb, around 1 pound
  
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  
• 2 tablespoons Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup Allioli a la Moderna (recipe follows)
  
• 2 tablespoons lavender honey (or other honey)
  
• Salt, to taste

Preparation
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Using sharp knife, remove fat from lamb, so bones are clean but still attached to loin. Place lamb, bones facing down, onto roasting rack or pan. Break rosemary into a few pieces; sprinkle over lamb. Brush lamb with a little olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes, until inside of the lamb reaches 140 degrees. As you check the lamb, baste once or twice with a little oil from the pan.

Meanwhile, combine Allioli and honey in a bowl; using fork to mix thoroughly.

Remove lamb from oven; allow to rest for 3-4 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large sauté pan over high heat. Place rack of lamb in the pan and sear for 10 seconds on each side to brown it.

Cut rack into pieces along bones. Place a spoon of honey allioli at the bottom of each plate and top with a piece of lamb. Season with salt and serve.

Tips from Chef José Andrés: The lamb is seared at the end, not the beginning, because we want to achieve the Maillard reaction, which is what happens every time we brown meats that are rich in sugar. The downside is that it loses a lot of the juice in the process. By roasting the lamb slowly, we lose much less juice than traditional roasting at high heats. And by searing it at the end, we can also conserve more of the lamb's succulent juices.

Nutrition
no information available

Serves
Serves 4

Variations
no information available