Reader's Choice Reveal Part II; Rack of Lamb with Mint Pesto & Warm Gorgonzola Potato Salad

Thanks to everyone who voted for the rack of lamb, I was secretly pulling for this recipe. Earlier this year my cousin gave me a cookbook from a restaurant they had eaten at while on vacation in Hawaii. The cookbook is The Hali’imaile General Store Cookbook. The reviews of the restaurant from my cousin were top notch, so needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to trying something from the cookbook. I could pick 3 potential recipes from just about every one of my cookbooks, but I wanted to be sure to spread the love around several different cookbooks for this reader’s choice blog.

Apparently the restaurant is famous for its Hunan lamb recipe, to the point where they refuse to share the recipe with anyone. This recipe is their attempt at a viable second option. There are several parts to this recipe, so let’s just get to it.

Mint Pesto:

2 cups packed fresh mint leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)

1 Tbsp. good quality red wine vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

To prepare the pesto, in a food processor, combine the mint leaves, garlic, and pepitas and pulse several times. With the motor running, add the vinegar and drizzle in the oil through the feed tube and process until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and add the salt and pepper. (For the record, I did not like the peptitas. I would stick with a more traditional pine nuts)

Warm Gorgonzola Potato Salad:

20 small new potatoes (about 2 lbs)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms

1 red onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped chives

½ cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

To prepare the salad, in a saucepan combine the potatoes with water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until tender. Drain, quarter the potatoes, and keep warm in a large bowl.

In a sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes, until just cooked. If the pan dries out, add 1 Tbsp. of water so the mushrooms won’t scorch. Add to the potatoes along with the onion and chives and toss together. Add the gorgonzola and toss again. Keep warm. (For the record Tim, we did not include the mushrooms in our version)

Rack of Lamb:

Heat a large non-stick ovenproof sauté pan over high heat until hot. No oil is needed. Using tongs, sear the lamb racks for 30 seconds to 1 minute on the loin side. Until caramelized. Remove the racks from the sauté pan and spread one-half of the pesto over the top of each rack. Return the racks to the pan, place in the oven and roast for 10-12 minutes for medium rare, or to desired doneness. (I let my lamb marinate for about 20 hours in a little olive oil, with fresh garlic and rosemary) (Vegetarian Substitute: We used Morningstar Farms Hickory BQQ Riblets)

Cut each rack into 4 double chops and transfer 2 to each warmed individual plate. Serve with the warm potato salad.

Spinich Salad:

Spinich
Strawberries
Feta Cheese
Pecans

We went to an old standby for this salad. It's one i've been making for years. Fresh baby spinish with sliced fresh strawberries, crumbled feta cheese, and pecans. Generally I use a poppyseed dressing, but as this was last minute we used what we had on-hand, spicy ranch.