Spiced Lamb Crown Roast with Turmeric Rice Stuffing

View recipe at thefeedfeed.com

Knives used in this recipe:

Premier Blonde Master Utility 6.5"

Premier Blonde Paring 4"

Premier Boning/Fillet 6"

For the Spiced Lamb:

• 4 1/ 2 -5 pounds lamb crown roast, trussed by a butcher

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon ground coriander

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1/ 8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Turmeric Rice Stuffing

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 3/ 4 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

• 1/ 4 cup raw shelled pistachios, roughly

  chopped

• 1/ 4 cup sliced raw almonds
• 1 clove peeled garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pound (2 1/4 cups) basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 strip orange peel
• 1/ 3 cup tart dried cherries
• 1/ 2 cup finely chopped herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, or mint
• 1/ 4 cup pomegranate arils

Cooking the Lamb:

1. Preheat oven to 200F degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, if desired, and place a cooling rack overtop.
2. Stir olive oil, cumin, coriander, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush mixture all over lamb and arrange on prepared baking sheet.
3. Insert a ball of aluminum foil into the center of each crown roast to help them maintain their shape while roasting. Cook lamb, rotating every 15 minutes, until an instant read thermometer measures 115F degrees, about 65 minutes.
4. Remove lamb from oven and preheat broiler to high (about 500F degrees). Remove aluminum foil from the center of each roast. Cover exposed rib bones with aluminum foil.
5. Broil, rotating every 5 minutes, until an instant read thermometer measures 125-130F for medium-rare, or 130-135F for medium.

Rice Stuffing:

1. Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in turmeric, sesame seeds, pistachios, almonds, and rice and toast until fragrant and lightly golden brown, about 6 minutes.
2. Stir kosher salt into water, then pour over rice. Add cinnamon stick and orange peel, then bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce to a simmer over low heat. Cook for about 16 minutes. Turn off heat and fluff rice, then cover and let steam for about 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and orange peel. Stir in chopped herbs and about half the pomegranate arils. Cover and keep warm while lamb cooks.

Serving:

1. Spoon some turmeric rice onto a platter and arrange crown roasts overtop. Fill the centers of the crown roasts with turmeric rice stuffing. Slice into single or double lamb chops with a Shun Cutlery boning knife and remove any butcher's twine. Enjoy hot or at room temperature.

A note on purchasing the lamb: Grocery stores typically carry domestic, Australian, or New Zealand lamb. Domestic and Australian varieties tend to be on the larger side, with Australian and New Zealand lamb being the more tender options. If you get a smaller rack of lamb (I used two 2 1/4 pound racks in this video), follow this recipe as written. If you get a single crown roast that is about 4 1/2-5 pounds you might need to extend the cooking time to about 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach 115F.