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1
Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven and, if possible, another rack in the top third, with enough space on both for the filled roasting pan.
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2
Preheat the oven to 425.
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3
Trim most of the fat from the chops, leaving only a very thin layer on the outside surfaces.
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4
To divide each chop into two pieces, lay it on a flat, cut side so you can see the divisions of the muscles.
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5
On one side are muscles attached to rib and backbones; on the opposite are the muscles around the thin shoulder-blade bone.
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6
It is easy to see where to separate them, because thick ribs tend to break apart naturally between these musclescooperatively, in the middle.
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7
Pull with your fingers to separate the pieces; slice apart the small section of meat that may hold them together.
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8
Sprinkle the meat pieces on all sides with salt, and pat it on, using 1/2 teaspoon in all.
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9
Put all the cut vegetables, the herbs, porcini, and peppercorns in the pan.
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10
Drizzle about 1/4 cup of the olive oil and the remaining teaspoon of salt over and toss and tumble everything together with your hands, distributing the seasonings and oiling all the pieces.
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11
Put the lamb pieces in with the vegetables, turn them in the pan, and rub them to coat with more olive oil.
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12
Arrange them several inches apart from each other, with vegetables all around, so they will cook and caramelize evenly.
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13
Pour the wine and a cup of broth (or water) into the pan; if necessary, add more broth or water to bring the liquid to 1/2-inch depth.
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14
Cover the pan with one or more long sheets of aluminum foil, arching the foil if necessary to keep it from touching the meat and vegetables.
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15
Crimp the foil around the rim of the pan, and press it tightly against the sides all around, sealing the lamb and vegetables in a tent.
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16
Roast for 45 minutes, undisturbed, on the lower rack.
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17
Remove the pan, and carefully take off the foil; the pan juices should be bubbling away around the meat and vegetables.
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18
With tongs, turn over each piece of lamb as well as the vegetables.
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19
Place the pan on the upper oven rack, and roast for about 10 minutes, then turn the lamb pieces over.
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20
Roast 10 more minutes and turn again (tumbling the vegetables over too).
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21
Roast another 10 minutes, until the lamb is crusty brown all over and has shrunk back from the bones.
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22
Remove from the oven, and transfer the lamb pieces to a bowl or platterletting the juices drip back into the pan for a moment.
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23
Keep in a warm place, loosely covered with the foil sheet.
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24
Set a sieve over a saucepan, and carefully pour the juices out of the roasting pan, leaving the vegetables intact in the pan.
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25
Its fine if the small seasonings go into the sieve, but you dont want the vegetables to break.
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26
Pick out the bay leaves and discard.
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27
Spread the vegetables out in the panthey will still be moistand put them in the oven, on the high rack, to caramelize.
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28
Meanwhile, start the sauce: press the juices from any seasonings or solids in the sieve.
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29
Skim the fat off the surface of the juices, and set the saucepan over high heat.
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30
Bring the juices to a boil, and reduce them by about half, to a slightly syrupy consistency: you should have about 3/4 cup.
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31
After 5 minutes or so, check the roasting vegetables: turn them in the pan, and rotate the pan on the rack.
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32
Roast until the chunks have crisped on the sides and caramelized on the edges, checking and turning them frequently.
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33
If they havent colored nicely in 10 minutes, raise the oven temperature; if they appear dry, drizzle a bit of the sauce or olive oil over them.
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34
While the vegetables are roasting, warm a serving platter (or plates).
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35
If you want, cut out the blade bone, which protrudes from the meatjust lift the cooked meat off it and remove the bone.
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36
Cut the meat off the rib pieces too, or leave them intact (for those who like gnawing bones).
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37
To serve family-style, heap the hot vegetables and meat on the serving platter and drizzle some of the sauce over.
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38
Or arrange a portion of vegetables in the center of a warm dinner plate, lay one of the lamb pieces on top, and moisten with sauce.
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39
Pass the remaining sauce at the table.
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40
The vegetables roasted alongside the meat are ideal and delicious as an accompaniment.
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41
Some hot polenta (page 215) would be a good addition too.
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42
The way I roast, aromatic vegetables fill the pan to lend flavor to the meat during their hours together in the oven.
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43
Later, the vegetables are usually mashed and sieved to extract their juices, flavor, and rich pulp for the sauce.
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44
I sometimes hate to lose these sweet vegetablesif youve tasted a carrot or onion wedge thats roasted with turkey or pork shoulder, you know what I mean.
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45
So I suggest you split the goods and use some to make sauce and save the rest as contorno, as I do in this recipe.
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46
You can do the same in any of the roasting recipes in this chapter.
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47
Follow these guidelines (and see the preceding lamb recipe for details):
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48
Increase the amount of sturdy root vegetables (or add them), such as carrots, parsnips, whole shallots, and rutabagas, as well as celery.
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49
Cut 3- or 4-inch-long wedges, evenly thick, at least 1/2 inch, or thicker if they must roast a long time.
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50
Short wedges cook through, look good, wont break, and will caramelize on the edges too.
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51
Cut onions in wedges, but trim them so the layers remain attached at the root end and they dont fall apart.
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52
Cook leeks whole.
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53
Use medium-thick leeks (1 1/2 inches); trim off tough leaves; wash thoroughly; trim the hairlike roots, but leave the root base that holds the leaves together.
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54
Do not cut the leek crosswise; split the leavesbut not the root endlengthwise.
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55
When serving, slice off the root and cut into short lengths.
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56
Use thick, big celery stalks; peel to remove tough skin.
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57
Cut celery sticks about 1 inch wide, so they dont fall apart.
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58
Caramelize the vegetables in the roasting pan after pouring out the pan juices for sauce.
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59
Roast them with the meat or by themselves.
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60
As detailed in the preceding lamb recipe, vegetables usually need more dry roasting than the meat, because they have been covered in liquid.
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61
Speed caramelization by raising the heat or the level of the roasting pan in the oven.
