Lamb With Anchovy And Rosemary Sauce

Lamb With Anchovy And Rosemary Sauce

On A Bed Of Beans With Swiss Chard

 This Anchovy and Rosemary Sauce is incredibly easy to make, with anchovy and lifted by the zing from the rosemary and lemon.  Great on chicken thighs roasted radicchio (or any vegetable for that matter), but utter heaven against the fattiness of lamb.  Swiss chard is one of easiest things to grow.  If you cannot find it, lacinato kale or spinach 
are great replacements for this recipe. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1 rack of lamb
1 lb. Swiss Chard
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups cooked white beans, such as Cannelloni or Marcella                              
1 unwaxed lemon
Rosemary and Anchovy Sauce:
3 sprigs of Rosemary
12 salted anchovies (about 1 can)
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions:
Sprinkle the lamb generously with salt and allow to rest coming to room temperature.

To make the rosemary and anchovy sauce, Put the rosemary leaves in a blender first followed by anchovies and olive oil, blend until smooth.  Taste and add a squeeze of lemon, blitz again and have another taste and keep adjusting until you get the balance right.

When the salt has penetrated the lamb, preheat oven to 400*F.  Heat a large ovenproof frying pan and place the lamb skin side down.  Fry slowly until the fat renders and becomes crisp and caramelized.  You want a deep brown color.  Turn over and briefly brown the other side, then place on a baking sheet in the oven.   For lamb that is pink in the middle, cook 10 to 20 minutes until the center of the meat is 122*F, then remove from oven and tent with foil.  Leave to rest 10 minutes.  By the time the lamb has rested, the temperature will have increased to 131*F which is perfect.

If you don't have a meat thermometer, proof the middle of the meat-if it is still squishy, it is not quite ready.  You are looking for a medium-firm but with some give.  While the lamb is cooking separate the chard leaves from the stalks.  Roughly cut the chard leaves into smaller pieces.  Finely cut the garlic.  Put a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat. drizzle the olive oil, once warm add the garlic.  Gently sizzle to infuse the garlic, then pour in the beans.  Gently simmer with the lid on until the beans are soft.  You may need to add a splash to two of water if there isn't enough liquid.  I sometimes use a potato masher to thicken the sauce if it needs it.

Grate in the lemon zest,  then stir through the chard stalks and make sure there is enough liquid to cover them.  Gently simmer until the stalks are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes, then add the leaves and mix them thorough-they will take no time at all to cook.  Turn the heat off and squeeze some of the lemon juice, grind in some pepper and mix well.  Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.  Carve up the lamb and hopefully it should be a beautiful pink-add a generous scoop of beans to each plate, then top with the lamb and top with the rosemary and anchovy sauce.    Julius Roberts of The Farm To Table.