What can I say? I love rack of lamb. It's something I don't eat often. As a matter of fact, I hardly ever cooked lamb because my kids and husband wouldn't eat it. It all started one Easter when my children were very young. I decided to make a leg of lamb for dinner. Paul made it known that he wasn't a fan. I was convinced that he did not like lamb based upon some bad lamb experience he had as a child. I was going to change his mind. As soon as the lamb hit the oven, and its aroma filled the house, Paul began making baby lamb noises. Melissa began to cry, and Matt decided at that moment, he will never eat lamb. Paul continued to make his baaaaaaa... baaaaaaa sounds, until the roast was done. I ate alone that Easter, like I was the monster that killed the lamb? It really wasn't fair; no one ever made moooing, oinking, or clucking noises when I cooked their favorite meals!
Fast forward about 15 years. Paul begins to open his mind to lamb...Matt still wouldn't eat it, Melissa hardly ate any meat. I would occasionally order it when we would dine out; perhaps lamb in a Merlot reduction, grilled baby lamb chops or my favorite, rack of lamb. Paul would taste it with an open mind. A friend once served a grilled, marinated leg of lamb and Paul decided that lamb was not so bad after all. Yes, I think he was traumatized by overcooked mutton before I met him. Now that the kids are living on their own, I am free to cook what I please without fear of traumatizing anyone. That's exactly what I did this past Sunday.
I knew Paul would be watching the Daytona 500. I was feeling ever-so-slightly guilty because I kind of put the kibosh on taking a trip down to Daytona and Florida this week . I wasn't quite ready for a vacation. I'm also not a race fan. I've humored Paul by going to a few races, I just can't share in his enthusiasm. To make up for my selfishness, I decided to make Paul a special dinner, one that he wouldn't have had in Daytona. Rack of Lamb, I decided. I'm going to make him LOVE rack of lamb! I figured if I encrusted the lamb in enough garlic, herbs, spices, and crunch...how could he resist? As long as I was mincing up fresh herbs, I minced up a few more for some roasted potatoes. A good bottle of red wine didn't hurt either. You know what? I think I have a full fledged convert on my hands!
