So renowned is the taste and texture of Salt Spring Island lamb that many visitors to British Columbia ask for it by name. Even Queen Elizabeth is said to prefer it to lamb from any other corner of her Commonwealth. Recipe and photo from The British Columbia Cookbook, by Eric Pateman, Jennifer Ogle, James Darcy and Jean Paré. © 2012 by Company’s Coming. Used by permission.
ingredients
Lamb
Spaetzle
directions
Place a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Brush lamb with oil and season with salt and pepper. Sear lamb until brown on all sides. Remove from heat and let sit 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450° F (230° C). Mix garlic and herbs together in a bowl with breadcrumbs. Place lamb on a small, rimmed baking sheet; brush Dijon mustard on rounded side of lamb. Divide breadcrumb mixture evenly over chops, covering mustard to form a crust. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into chops. Serve with spaetzle.
*Tip: Frenching is a technique where the rib bones of the rack of lamb are scraped clean of skin, meat and sinew using a very sharp knife and kitchen shears. If you don’t feel up to this operation, ask your butcher to do it. Racks of lamb already frenched are sometimes available in the grocery store.
For spaetzle, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set a bowl of ice water near pot.
Sift flour and salt together. Whisk together eggs, milk and Dijon mustard and pour into flour, stirring to make a smooth batter.
Using a spaetzle maker or food mill, drop batter into boiling water. When spaetzle come to surface, transfer them to ice water with a slotted spoon. Repeat until all batter is used.
As they cool, remove spaetzle from water and place in sieve to drain. To reheat spaetzle, toss them in hot butter or sauce—or fry them over medium heat until golden.