Valentine's Day Dinner

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Nothing says love like a home-cooked meal. Surprise and delight your person this February 14 with a rack of lamb with traditional cured bacon and summer vegetables. 

 

INGREDIENTS

50ml olive oil

6 point lamb rack

1 spanish onion, thinly sliced

20 cherry tomatoes, skins

pricked.

100g on bacon, coarsely

chopped

150g podded peas

. cup mint leaves, coarsely

torn (loosely packed)

Mint béarnaise

100ml white wine vinegar

3 sprigs of mint, leaves picked,

stalks reserved

3 black peppercorns

1 golden shallot, thinly sliced

3 egg yolks

225 ml butter

 

 

METHOD
For mint béarnaise, combine vinegar, mint stalks, peppercorns and shallot in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced to 40ml (2 tbsp), then strain into a bowl, discarding solids. Whisk egg yolks and vinegar reduction in a large heat-proof bowl over gently simmering water until pale and thick, then gradually whisk in clarified butter until well combined. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Coarsely chop mint leaves and add to béarnaise. Stand in a warm place until required. Makes 1 cup.

Preheat oven to 200C. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy-based roasting pan over medium-high heat. Season lamb and cook for 5 minutes, turning until browned all over. Roast in oven, turning once, for 8-10 minutes for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Rest for 10 minutes covered loosely with foil.

Heat remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, sauté onion for 5 minutes or until soft and golden. Add cherry tomatoes and pancetta, and cook for 5 minutes or until tomatoes just split. Meanwhile, blanch peas in boiling salted water for 5-7 minutes or until just tender, drain, add to tomato mixture and stir to combine. Season to taste and add mint leaves. To serve, halve lamb racks, arrange pancetta and summer vegetables on plates, top with lamb and mint béarnaise and serve immediately.