ValentineDinner

Hollandaise Sauce
5 1/2 TB butter
2 egg yolks
2 to 3 TB fresh lemon juice
1 TB hot water
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Put the butter into a Pyrex cup and microwave on power 7 for 2 to 3 minutes or until melted. Allow to cool. Put about a quart of water into the bottom of the double boiler and bring to a simmer. Put the yolks into the top of a double boiler and add the salt, cayenne, hot water and 2 TB lemon juice. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture until thick and very pale lemon yellow. Put the boiler top onto the bottom and while continually mixing, slowly dribble the slightly cooled butter into the egg yolk mixture. Cook and mix until the mixture thickens. Adjust for salt and add more lemon juice to taste.

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
1 whole rack of lamb (about 1 1/2 lbs) backbone removed, cap trimmed and the tips of the bones “frenched” (trimmed of meat about 1 1/2 inches up)
salt and pepper
1 TB olive oil
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs or panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup Italian flat leafed parsley, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TB Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
3 TB olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly score the fat cap of the rack in crisscross sections as you would a ham. Salt and pepper the rack. Heat an ovenproof skillet to very hot and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and quickly sear the fat cap of the rack until golden brown. Put the rack into the oven and cook for five minutes. Mix the bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, herb, mustard, olive oil and salt and pepper and spread over the rack. Cover the ends of the bones with aluminum foil and return the rack to the oven and roast for an additional 15 minutes. Using a quick read thermometer, check the inner temperature of the lamb. The right reading for medium lamb is between 120 and 125 degrees. Roast for an additional few minutes if necessary. When the desired temperature is reached, remove the rack, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving into chops.

Chambord Mousse
3 egg yolks
2 TB sugar
2 ozs Chambord
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup raspberries
1 oz Chambord
1 to 2 TB sugar

Beat the yolks, sugar and 2 oz Chambord until thick and pale yellow. Beat the cream until stiff. Fold the cream into the egg mixture, place in stemmed glasses and put into the freezer for an hour. Gently mash about 2/3 cup of raspberries and mix with the 1 oz of Chambord and the remaining sugar. To serve, spoon the sauce over the mousse, top with a few berries and garnish with mint.


		Valentine Dinner
Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday this year, so if you would like to cook something a little special, you might celebrate a day early when you will have more time. Rack of baby lamb is the centerpiece for this menu. I serve it with steamed baby green beans and russet potatoes, carved into torpedo shapes, steamed and then sautéed in butter until crisp. There isn’t a lot of meat on a rack of lamb so a first course of a steamed artichoke with hollandaise sauce wouldn’t be too much. Dessert is a light and lovely pink mousse made with Chambord liqueur. Chambord is a French liqueur made with framboises (small black raspberries) and other fruits and herbs with just a hint of honey. Enjoy. Sue Kleber			Dinner for Two
			Hollandaise Sauce 5 1/2 TB butter 2 egg yolks 2 to 3 TB fresh lemon juice 1 TB hot water pinch of salt pinch of cayenne pepper Put the butter into a Pyrex cup and microwave on power 7 for 2 to 3 minutes or until melted. Allow to cool. Put about a quart of water into the bottom of the double boiler and bring to a simmer. Put the yolks into the top of a double boiler and add the salt, cayenne, hot water and 2 TB lemon juice. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture until thick and very pale lemon yellow. Put the boiler top onto the bottom and while continually mixing, slowly dribble the slightly cooled butter into the egg yolk mixture. Cook and mix until the mixture thickens. Adjust for salt and add more lemon juice to taste. Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb 1 whole rack of lamb (about 1 1/2 lbs) backbone removed, cap trimmed and the tips of the bones “frenched” (trimmed of meat about 1 1/2 inches up) salt and pepper 1 TB olive oil 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs or panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 1/4 cup Italian flat leafed parsley, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 2 TB Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary 3 TB olive oil 1/4 tsp kosher salt Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly score the fat cap of the rack in crisscross sections as you would a ham. Salt and pepper the rack. Heat an ovenproof skillet to very hot and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and quickly sear the fat cap of the rack until golden brown. Put the rack into the oven and cook for five minutes. Mix the bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, herb, mustard, olive oil and salt and pepper and spread over the rack. Cover the ends of the bones with aluminum foil and return the rack to the oven and roast for an additional 15 minutes. Using a quick read thermometer, check the inner temperature of the lamb. The right reading for medium lamb is between 120 and 125 degrees. Roast for an additional few minutes if necessary. When the desired temperature is reached, remove the rack, cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving into chops. Chambord Mousse 3 egg yolks 2 TB sugar 2 ozs Chambord 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 1 cup raspberries 1 oz Chambord 1 to 2 TB sugar Beat the yolks, sugar and 2 oz Chambord until thick and pale yellow. Beat the cream until stiff. Fold the cream into the egg mixture, place in stemmed glasses and put into the freezer for an hour. Gently mash about 2/3 cup of raspberries and mix with the 1 oz of Chambord and the remaining sugar. To serve, spoon the sauce over the mousse, top with a few berries and garnish with mint.
	Courtesy of:
	Real Estate & Living
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