Bring sweet and savory together with this stunning Frenched rack recipe, perfect for entertaining. This dish features Brussels sprouts, pears, and squash, all roasted with maple syrup and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper.
Roasted Frenched Rack with Maple-Glazed Vegetables
6 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 rack of lamb, Frenched
1 medium delicata squash
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 Anjou or Bartlett pears, stemmed, cored, and cut into wedges
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 handfuls fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
To start, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
In a food processor, add garlic cloves, rosemary, and olive oil; finely chop until the garlic forms a paste, and the rosemary is a mix of finely chopped and larger leaves. Season the Frenched rack on both sides with salt and pepper and rub with the garlic-rosemary mixture. Set aside at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Next, halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash into 1/2-inch-thick moon-shaped slices. Pile the squash, Brussels sprouts, and pears in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup. Season the mix with a few big pinches of salt and several grinds of black pepper and toss to coat evenly. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet, making sure to spread them out in a single layer. Place the Frenched rack on the baking sheet with the meaty side up in the center of the pan, covering some of the vegetables and pears.
Roast until the internal temperature reaches 130 to 135°F, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the rack to a large platter and cover loosely with foil to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet back and roast again in the upper third of the oven until the vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Switch the oven to broil and position the pan so that the top of the lamb is about 4 inches from the broiler. Broil until the lamb and vegetables are nicely browned on top, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the rack to a carving board, tent it with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Loosen the pears and vegetables from the baking pan with a spatula, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the pan, and toss them together with the parsley. Transfer to a warmed serving platter.
Carve the rack between the rib bones and transfer it to the platter, nestling it over the vegetables and pears. Serve immediately.
