Feast fit for a King

If you haven’t started thinking about Christmas dinner, then you might want to. Turkeys need to be thawed, shopping needs to be done, and the more you can get done ahead of time, the better your day will turn out.

Turkeys need about 4 days to thaw out in the refrigerator before their time in the oven. You can make the cranberry sauce, the bake the pies, get the cheese plates ready, all before the big day. That way you will spend less time in the kitchen. You should also consider your place settings and glassware for a beautiful and delicious dinner. Check for chipped or cracked dishes and glassware, polish the silverware, and get the table linens cleaned before your guests arrive.

If you haven’t thought about what you are going to serve, I have a couple of suggestions:

Turkeys are always a great crowd pleaser, as are hams, but if you want to really impress you friends and family, try a rack or leg of lamb. If you have access to venison then that can be a real treat. It is also important to think about your vegetarian friends that may be visiting. Roasted vegetables, wonderful bisques, and soups can make a great main course.

Mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, French green beans, chestnut stuffing, casseroles, winter salads, hot dinner rolls, fresh glazed baby carrots… are you getting hungry yet? These are all fantastic additions to the main course.

Here is a recipe for a roast rack of lamb that is sure to please your guests:
This will serve 8 people two chops apiece.

2 racks of lamb, 8 ribs each
Salt and pepper
Thyme
2 cloves garlic
1 pt of veal stock (beef will be just fine)

If your lamb is not cleaned, then you will need to clean the rib bones.
Pat dry the lamb and season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Place the rack, fat side up in a 450 deg. Oven and roast to rare or medium rare (130 deg. Internal temp. it will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven). It will take about 30 minutes, but check prior to that to ensure it is not over cooked. Remove the rack from the pan and hold in the warm oven. Place the roasting pan over the stove top on medium heat and clarify the fat. Drain off the excess fat, and then add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the veal (beef) stock, strain the sauce from the pan, and season to taste.

Cut the rack between the ribs into chops, and serve with the sauce.

Wine is a nice accompaniment for lamb, but beer is just as great, if not better. I would suggest a beer that has a fairly strong flavor to stand up to the gamey flavor that lamb often has. A Quad or Tripel Belgian strong ale would be nice, a Bier de Garde, or a Saison would be great as well. Just keep in mind the intense flavor of the lamb and the beer that is going up against it and you should be just fine.

Have a wonderful holiday!