LOCAL LAMB SOURCES
Greene's Lamb: , 2014 White Hall Road, White Hall. 410-329-6241. Whole lamb and cuts; call before you come. Some cuts, such as leg of lamb, might be in short supply at Easter.
Springfield Farm: , 16701 Yeoho Road, Sparks. 410-472-0738; ourspringfieldfarm.com. Cuts of meat.
Broom's Bloom Dairy, 1700 S. Fountain Green Road, Bel Air. 410-399-2697. A dairy and retail store that sells locally produced lamb.
The Mill of Bel Air: , 424 N. Main St., Bel Air. 410-838-6111. This place sells lamb from the farm of state Sen. Barry Glassman.
32nd Street Farmers' Market: , 32nd Street near Greenmount Avenue, 7 a.m. to noon Saturdays, year-round. The Woolsey Farm stand sells cuts of lamb.
NUT-CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB
(serves 4)
salt and pepper to taste
1 rack of lamb, about 3 pounds (allow 2 to 4 chops per person)
2 tablespoons molasses or honey, at room temperature
2 to 4 tablespoons finely ground pistachios or walnuts
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup demiglace or chicken stock
Heat a saute pan over high heat until nearly smoking. Season with salt and pepper and place lamb in pan, fat side down. Sear until browned. Turn lamb and sear other side of the meat. Remove from the pan; let sit until just cool enough to handle.
Brush fat (rounded side) of lamb with molasses or honey in a thin layer. Sprinkle nuts over coated lamb, pressing gently to adhere.
Place lamb on a roasting pan and roast in a 400-degree oven to desired doneness (about 20 minutes for rare). Let rest in a warm place. While rack rests, prepare sauce by pouring fat off the saute pan that lamb was seared in. Add pomegranate juice and shallots and reduce by half.
Add demiglace or chicken stock and a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce heat to a simmer and reduce to a sauce consistency. Slice lamb into chops and serve warm with sauce.
Courtesy of Susan Watterson, an instructor at CulinAerie, a cooking school in Washington.
Per serving: : 483 calories, 60 grams protein, 19 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 14 grams carbohydrate, trace fiber, 187 milligrams cholesterol, 212 milligrams sodium
