Rack of Lamb by Martha by Martha

This is a recipe from the current issue of Martha Stewart Living. The recipe appears with a caper-mint sauce which was not my favorite, but the marinade worked very well. Even though, because of an oven mistake, the lamb was a little over-cooked (140 on the thermometer when it came out of the oven), the meat was still juicy and tender and infused with gentle flavors of mint and garlic that did not overwhelm the wonderful flavor of the lamb.

FOR THE LAMB
Serves 8

4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 c fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/4 c fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 racks of lamb (about 2 lbs.) frenched
2 tablespoons safflower oil

FOR THE CAPER-MINT SAUCE
1/2 c salt-packed capers, rinsed well
2 c fresh mint
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/4 c minced shallots
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

Make the lamb: Whisk together garlic, mint, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Place lamb in a large resealable plastic bag. Add marinade and refrigerate overnight.

Let the lamb stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400. Remove lamb from marinade, brush off any garlic and mint and pat dry with paper towels. Discard marinade. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat safflower oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb; cook, flipping oven, until browned 2 - 3 minutes on each side. Transfer skillet to oven; cook until lamb registers 130 on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes for medium-rare. (We did not have a skillet large enough to accommodate 2 racks, so after browning, I transferred the racks to a roasting pan.)

Make the mint sauce: Pulse capers in a food-processor until roughly chopped. Add mint, lemon zest and juice, shallots. Pulse until mint in roughly chopped. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, pulsing until combined but still coarse. Transfer to a small bowl.

Serve the lamb: Transfer lamb to platter and coat racks with a third of the caper-mint sauce. Let rest for 20 minutes. Cut lamb into chops, single or double thickness; transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and mint sprigs; serve with remaining sauce.