Rack Of Lamb

Pork and beef are the usual suspects when it comes to ribs, but the rich, bold flavor of lamb is a perfect match for this tangy Tex-Mex marmalade glaze. Grits cooked with a generous amount of Cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano round out the meal.

This impressive dish will dazzle your guests — and it uses only four ingredients.

This dish features cabbage and cauliflower prepared simply, to preserve the purity of their flavors. The dates bring out the inherent sweetness of both vegetables perfectly. Make the purées first, then roast the cabbage and cook the chops.

If you're making this entire menu in a single oven, we recommend baking the yuca gratin ahead; while it cooks, brown the lamb and coat with the sauce and farofa. When the gratin comes out of the oven, the lamb can go in. (The gratin will stay warm while the lamb bakes and stands.)

A small coffee or spice mill makes grinding the whole spices very easy. Serve the lamb with the Indian Ratatouille and basmati rice. Pour a spicy red wine such as Syrah or Zinfandel.

The rack is best if roasted at a higher temperature than the other cuts and basted often. A rack should be served at once.

Oven-roasted red potato chunks sprinkled with chives; steamed and buttered baby carrots; and a limestone lettuce salad would be good accompaniments to this elegant main course. Finish with a strawberry-rhubarb pie from the bakery.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Mashed Yams and Apples and Fried Onion Rings are superb accompaniments.

Begin the meal with a salad of endive, pear and watercress with a blue cheese vinaigrette. The lamb is wonderful with the onion-potato gratin and boiled haricots verts; Côte-Rôtie is the right wine. A French apple tart from the bakery topped with some sweetened créme fraîche makes a nice ending.

For this recipe the lamb racks are frenched all the way down to the eye of the meat. For decorative purposes, we asked our butcher to leave a 1-inch-wide strip of fat along the top of the eye of the rack.

This recipe was created to accompany Crown Roast of Lamb . Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At the restaurant, the lamb is served with cilantro-corn mashed potatoes.

At the restaurant, the chops are accompanied by a rice pilaf made by mixing mango, cashews and basil into basmati rice.

A delicious entrée from L'Apogée.

Accompany this well-seasoned main course with a creamy potato gratin and purchased caponata drizzled with fresh lemon juice; serve apple pie for dessert.

The White Horse tavern accompanies this with lightly sautéed swiss chard.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Lovely dinner fare from L'Auberge Chez François in Great Falls, Virginia. Serve with roasted new potatoes and asparagus.