Carré d’Agneau Mireille

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12 by 8 inch (30 by 20 cm) oval earthenware baking dish
• •12 inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large basting spoon or bulb baster
• •Thin-bladed knife for testing the potatoes

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the two clocks

   Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C), with a rack just below the centre. Take the lamb from the cold for 30 minutes, then dry it thoroughly and season every fleshy surface with the salt and pepper. Melt 4 tablespoons (60 ml / 57 g) of the butter gently for basting and keep it warm; leave the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) solid for the raidir.

2. 2

   Three-quarter the Anna

   Prepare the Pommes de Terre Anna (No. 2203) in its own oval earthenware serving dish according to its entry, making the prescribed Mireille addition: distribute the raw minced artichoke bottoms among the potato layers. The artichoke weighs exactly one-third as much as the potatoes. Keep the preparation in the dish instead of turning it out or draining it, cover, and bake until three-parts cooked, about 25 to 30 minutes. A thin knife should enter the centre with distinct but yielding resistance. If it still meets a hard, raw layer, cover and bake for another 5 minutes before adding the lamb. Do not trust the clock over the knife.

3. 3

   Raidir the carré

   Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. When it foams, add the rack fat-side down and raidir it, meaning firm the exterior gently in butter, for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn it briefly against each fleshy side until the surface is pale gold and taut, not darkly crusted. If the butter blackens, lift out the lamb, wipe the skillet, and begin again with a spoonful of the reserved melted butter. Ça se rattrape. Burnt butter must not follow the lamb into the baking dish.

4. 4

   Settle lamb on Anna

   Uncover the three-quarter-cooked potatoes and settle the rack over them with its fat cap uppermost and the bones pointing slightly upward. Brush the lamb generously with melted butter and spoon a little over the exposed potatoes. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and roast for 18 to 25 minutes, basting the lamb and potatoes with the butter and juices from the dish every 4 to 5 minutes. Basting is not decoration here. It joins the two preparations and keeps the exposed surfaces glossy while they brown.

5. 5

   Reconcile the doneness

   Begin checking the lamb after 16 minutes, inserting an instant-read thermometer into the centre between the ribs without touching bone. Remove it at 130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C) for rosy lamb after resting, or around 140°F (60°C) if you want it to finish near 145°F (63°C). The potatoes should be completely tender underneath and crisp-edged at the surface. If the lamb is ready first, lift it to a warm board and give the potatoes another 5 to 10 minutes. If the potatoes are ready first, shield their exposed edges loosely with foil and continue roasting the lamb. Separate the clocks when necessary, then reunite them for service.

6. 6

   Rest and serve whole

   Rest the rack on a warm board for 10 minutes while the potato dish stands in a warm place. Return the carré to its cushion of potatoes, spoon the collected butter and lamb juices over both, and wipe only the outside rim of the dish. Bring it whole to the table in the vessel that cooked it, then carve between the ribs and serve each portion with the artichoke-shot potatoes beneath. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The source rendering calls for stiffening the neck, but the title and composition identify the cut as the carré, the intact rib rack. Loose lamb neck belongs to the braising pot and cannot replace it here.
• •Ask the butcher to remove the chine bone so the rack carves cleanly, but keep a thin, even fat cap. That fat bronzes under the butter and protects the meat; a rack scraped bare looks tidy before cooking and eats dry afterward.
• •Fresh raw artichoke bottoms give the clearest flavour and preserve the source method. If the season refuses you, use plain frozen artichoke bottoms at the same weight, thawed and dried with real care. They are already blanched, so their texture will be softer, but the dish keeps its intention.
• •Do not add garlic, rosemary, stock, or a separate sauce. The source builds its finish from butter, lamb juices, potato starch, and artichoke. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.
• •Artichoke can make a heavily tannic wine taste metallic. Pour a supple red Rhône or a mature Provençal red with more fragrance than grip.

Advance Preparation

• •Season the rack and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 4 to 12 hours. The surface dries, the seasoning settles, and the lamb browns more evenly; take it out 30 minutes before cooking.
• •The Pommes de Terre Anna (No. 2203) and artichoke base can be baked to the three-quarter stage up to 1 hour before the lamb is added. Keep it covered at room temperature, then warm it in the oven for 5 minutes before setting the carré on top.
• •Fresh artichoke bottoms may be trimmed up to 2 hours ahead and held in lightly acidulated cold water. Drain and dry them completely before mincing, because water trapped among the potatoes prevents their edges from crisping.
• •Leftovers keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat the potatoes in the baking dish at 375°F (190°C), adding the sliced lamb only for the final few minutes so it warms without losing its rosy centre.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 390g)