Roasted Lamb Rack
American Lamb, Harissa-Miso Sauce, Mechouia, Coconut Yogurt, Cilantro
Chef Liz Barwick of Sarma | Somerville, MA
Yield: 4 servings
“This recipe is inspired by a dish I ate on a recent trip to London. I had a chicken dish with these Moroccan flavors, and I wanted to recreate it using American lamb. I love how the harissa and miso roast on the lamb and create a flavorful crust. The mechouia is a Moroccan grilled vegetable salad that I added sweet potato to. The quality and flavor of American lamb is delicious.” — Chef Liz Barwick
Adapted by StarChefs | January 2025 | Photo: Brian Samuels
INGREDIENTS
Lamb:
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
One 2-pound American lamb rack, fat cap scored
Harissa-Miso Sauce:
Yield: ½ cup
½ cup labneh
2 tablespoons Chinese hot mustard
2 tablespoons harissa
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup honey
Mechouia:
2 Chinese eggplants, punctured with a fork
6 tomatoes
2 Fresno chiles
2 red bell peppers
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1½ tablespoons Sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon harissa
1 teaspoon white miso paste
Coconut Yogurt:
4 tablespoons shredded coconut
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon fish sauce
1 cup labneh
To Assemble and Serve:
2 tablespoons canola oil
Maldon salt
Cilantro
METHOD
For the Lamb:
In a shallow baking dish, combine salt and spices. Add lamb and mix until lamb is generously coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
For the Harissa-Miso Sauce:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together labneh, mustard, harissa, ginger, miso, cumin, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Transfer ½ cup of the mixture to a nonreactive container and stir in honey. Cover and refrigerate.
For the Mechouia:
Prepare and heat a grill to medium-high heat. Once hot, add eggplants, 4 tomatoes, chiles, and bell peppers. Grill until evenly charred on all sides. Remove from heat and dice bell peppers and tomatoes, mince chiles, and slit the skin of the eggplants to remove flesh and chop. Set aside, reserving all vegetable juices. In a sauté pan over medium flame, heat olive oil. Add sweet potato and cook 5 minutes, or until sweet potatoes begin to soften. Add shallot, ginger, and garlic. Cook 3 minutes, then reduce heat and add spices and salt. Once fragrant, stir in lemon juice, vinegar, harissa, miso, grilled vegetables, and reserved vegetable juices. Cook 4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, olive oil, and vinegar. Reduce heat and keep warm.
For the Coconut Yogurt:
Heat oven to 400°F. In a mixing bowl, combine coconut, coconut milk, salt, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, and fish sauce. Let sit 10 minutes at room temperature. Whisk in labneh. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate.
To Assemble and Serve:
Heat oven to 400°F. Place Lamb on a clean work surface and pat dry. In a pan over medium-high flame, heat canola oil. Add Lamb and sear on all sides. Remove from heat and coat Lamb in desired amount of Harissa-Miso Sauce. Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet tray. Roast 15 minutes. Increase oven heat to 450°F. Roast an additional 3 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the Lamb reaches 130°F. Spoon additional Harissa-Miso Sauce over Lamb. Let rest 15 minutes. Once cooled, slice Lamb into individual racks and arrange on a serving platter. Season with salt and top with cilantro. Serve with Coconut Yogurt and Mechouia.
