Entree: Lamb with Cherry Glaze and Merlot Reduction

This is very time consuming recipe, but if you have the time the results are amazing and will knock the socks off any guest.


Ingredients

Cherry Reduction Sauce
2 cups of red wine/merlot
2 cups of fresh pitted cherries (you can use canned as well)
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 shallot chopped
4 cups of lamb or chicken stock
1 tbsp unsalted butter
salt & pepper to taste
brown sugar to taste


Merlot Glaze
1 bottle of merlot
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 shallot chopped
1 clove garlic chopped

Lamb
4 lamb racks fat trimmed and bones frenched
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
rosemary sprigs for garnish


To prepare the the Cherry Reduction sauce:
Combine the wine, cherries, garlic and shallot in a saucepan over high heat and reduce until mixture is almost dry. 10 minutes

Add the stock decrease the heat to medium and reduce until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon 30 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted. Salt, pepper and brown sugar to taste. For a sweet sauce add generous sugar.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Merlot Glaze:
Add wine, vinegar, shallot and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat and reduce until about 1/2 cup of liquid remains 20 to 30 minutes.

Lamb:
Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over high heat until smoking hot.
Add as many of the racks as will fit-don't overcrowd the pan-meat side down. Sear lamb well about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a baking pan. Baste racks with glaze. Set pan in the oven and roast- basting every 5 minutes until the meat has reached a temperature of 135 degrees F. About 20 minutes

Remove from oven and rest lamb for 5 minutes. Drizzle Cherry Reduction Sauce over lamb and serve on the side.