Millcroft Inn & Spa’s Earl Grey Tea Crusted Ontario Lamb Rack

This recipe, courtesy of Executive Chef Nicolas Petitjean from Headwaters Restaurant at Millcroft Inn & Spa, is a masterful dish and when finished cooking, you’ll have made a restaurant-caliber meal at home. Lamb chops infused with the flavours of Earl Grey tea, fresh thyme, and extraordinary mushrooms pair perfectly with the bold and rich flavours of a Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine pairing courtesy of Food & Beverage Manager Jeffrey Bursey from Headwaters Restaurant at Millcroft Inn & Spa.

Earl Grey Tea Crusted Ontario Lamb Rack  

Compliments of Executive Chef Nicolas Petitjean from Headwaters Restaurant at Millcroft Inn & Spa.

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:

2 Lamb Rack
4 Salsifis
200 g Gold chanterelle
100 g Black trumpet
10 g Chives
200 g Earl Grey tea 
40 g Mache lettuce
20 g Extra virgin olive oil 
200 g Lamb stock 
20 g Salt
10 g Black pepper 
1 Bay leaf
1 Thyme leaf
1 Lemon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Wash and peel the salsifis (2 skins) until translucent. Reserve in cold water with lemon.
3. Boil some water with salt, bay leaf, black peppercorn, thyme and lemon then poach the salsifis into it until tender, cool them then reserve.  
4. Butcher and clean the rack of lamb. Reserve the bones and trimmings to do the stock. Keep 1 bone from the rack, season salt and pepper.
5. Place the lamb in the oven at 350˚F for 14 minutes. Cook through 75%. Crust the lamb with the earl grey tea and finish cooking.
6. Clean the gold chanterelle and trumpet, rinse them then reserve them. In a pan sauté them until cooked through, season to taste. Finely chop chives and sprinkle in the mushroom.
7. With the lamb bones and trimmings do a light stock. Infused earl grey tea, strain then reserve.
8. Plate the dish according to the picture example above. 

Wine Pairing: Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon

Compliments of Food & Beverage Manager Jeffrey Bursey from Headwaters Restaurant at Millcroft Inn & Spa.

Lamb Chops are a fatty cut of meat and pack a lot of flavour, allowing the dish to hold up to the bold and rich flavours of a Cabernet Sauvignon. I would recommend the Dreaming Tree Cabernet Sauvignon. Lamb chops are also gamy, so if you don’t appreciate the gaminess, the ripe plum, cassis and blackberry flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon are perfect for masking that gaminess. Meanwhile, the earthy, herbal and chocolate flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon are excellent with mushrooms.