a salt-crusted, herb roasted rack of lamb with mint cranberry chutney
serves: 4
Combine the cranberries, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, mint sprigs, and ground cloves in a small saucepan. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes. The mixture should be loose and syrupy. It will thicken more as it cools. Transfer the chutney to a bowl. Fill a larger bowl with ice water and place the chutney bowl inside of it to cool. Let the chutney cool completely, uncovered.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the racks of lamb from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Prepare a sheet pan with a wire rack on top. Place the racks of lamb on the wire rack. Use a paper towel to pat them dry. Drizzle safflower oil onto each rack, using your hands to rub the oil over the entire surface area. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Rub this mixture over the lamb, evenly distributing it across each rack. Make sure to firmly press the mixture onto the lamb to ensure it sticks.
With the bones facing down, roast the lamb for 25 minutes, uncovered. This will result in medium lamb (cook longer or less if you prefer). Meanwhile, combine the butter, rosemary, and thyme in a small saucepan. Let the butter melt and come to a bubble over low heat. Simmer the butter for about 5 minutes on low to allow the herbs to infuse their flavor. When the lamb comes out of the oven, pour the butter mixture over the top of each rack. Cover the pan with a piece of foil and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Slice each rack of lamb into four double chops. Serve with the mint cranberry chutney on the side.