Catalonian Fire-Roasted Lamb Rack Romesco Sauce Tip: Wolfgang Puck says to always add the herbs at the end in order not to cook the flavor out of them.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ease of preparation: intermediate

Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil
3 shallots, sliced
8 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
1 dry ancho chile, crushed
2 scallions, thinly sliced into rounds
1 small handful cilantro leaves
2 to 3 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon honey
3 racks lamb, chine bone removed

Romesco Sauce

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 dried ancho chiles, crushed
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded
1 red pepper, diced
3 shallots, sliced
10 cloves garlic, smashed
4 tomatoes
1 cup tomato juice
Large pinch saffron threads
1 tablespoon crushed cumin
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds
A few basil and parsley leaves
3/4 cup toasted almonds
Lime juice, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the marinade: Heat olive oil in a sauté pan and add shallots, garlic and the ancho chile. Cook until barely golden. Remove from heat and add scallions, cilantro leaves, lime juice and honey.

Remove the whole "eye" from each rack, reserving the bones. Marinate for 2 hours or more, refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a shallow roasting pan, combine all the ingredients for the romesco sauce. Roast for 40 minutes or until the tomatoes start to brown.

Remove from the oven and process in a food processor, along with the toasted almonds. Add lime juice and salt and pepper to adjust the seasoning.

Slice apart the reserved rib bones into 7 or 8 pieces equally so that each bone has the same amount of meat.

Return sauce to the roasting pan and add rib bones. Loosely cover with foil. Roast at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Test to see if the bone meat is tender by poking it with the tip of a sharp knife. When the meat is tender, remove the foil cover to let the meat brown slightly.

Dry the "eyes" of each rack by scraping away the marinade. Do not discard. Add salt and pepper to the "eyes" and brown in a large sauté pan.

When the "eyes" have browned, place in a shallow roasting pan, pour over the reserved marinade and roast in a slow oven at 325 degrees F until cooked to medium rare. Let them rest. Slice each into 6 equal rounds. Place 3 rounds, overlapping, on each serving plate and arrange 3 or 4 rib bones next to them Ladle some of the sauce around the plate. Serve immediately.