Food & Wine Pairing: Mustard & Fennel Crusted Rack of Lamb

food pairing recipe with samsara 2013 syrah zotovich vineyard In the Spring, we love nothing better than getting back outdoors to enjoy the warmer weather and knocking the dust off our grills with family or friends. As a way to celebrate the return of Spring, we’d like to share one of our favorite Spring recipes with you all. This Mustard & Fennel Crusted Rack of Lamb pairs extremely well with grilled asparagus, fingerling potatoes, and SAMsARA’s 2013 Syrah from Zotovich Vineyard. Ingredients 2 tablespoons fennel seeds 
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary 
3 garlic cloves 
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt 
1 tablespoon pepper 
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
2 racks lamb (7 to 8 ribs each), bone ends frenched and all but a thin layer of outer fat removed.  Leave just enough fat to crisp up, but not so much that the melting/dripping fat causes flare ups on the grill. HOW TO PREPARE IT Step 1
Combine fennel seeds, rosemary, and garlic with salt. Chop or crush finely as possible. Mix with pepper, oil, and mustard. Step 2
Rub rack of lamb with marinade. Chill, covered, for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Step 3
Take lamb out of refrigerator 90 min before grilling. Wrap bone ends with foil. Step 4
Sear the racks of lamb over high heat, or directly over the burner or coals, meaty side down, until they are nicely browned, about 6 minutes. Turn the racks so that they are leaning against each other with the bones pointing up and grill until the meaty sides are nicely browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the racks bone side down and lower the heat to moderately low, or move the meat to the cooler side of the grill. Cover the grill and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 130° for medium-rare meat, about 20 minutes.  Step 5
Transfer the lamb to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Using a sharp slicing knife, carve the racks of lamb into chops and serve. ORDER SAMSARA 2013 SYRAH - ZOTOVICH VINEYARD ORDER SAMSARA 2013 SYRAH - ZOTOVICH VINEYARD