INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation of the herb crust: Chop all picked herbs and blend in a
food processor with other ingredients until it is smooth and
homogenous. Reserve in refrigerator or freezer. Preparation of the
pepper ragout:  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Prelight a mesquite grill
and let embers cool. Place all the peppers,  chiles, and onion on the
grill and char well. Place the garlic cloves  in a pouch of aluminum
foil and roast over coals until lightly golden  brown. Once peppers are
charred, place them in a bowl, cover with  plastic wrap and allow to
steam for ten minutes. Remove the skins  from the chiles, pepper and
onion and cut into large chunks, after  removing any seeds or white
membranes. Cut the garlic into large  chunks and mix with peppers and
onions.  In a heavy sauce pot, add the olive oil and heat over a medium
fire  and sweat the pepper mixture. Add the lavender, salt, pepper and
honey and bake, uncovered in oven until the liquid from the peppers
has reduced. Remove and cool to room temperature, adjust seasonings
and add whole leaves of basil.  Preparation of the socca nicoise:
Place flour in a mixing bowl and add the milk in a steady stream until
smooth. Add olive oil, egg, salt and pepper. Strain and let rest for
two hours in refrigerator. Consistency should be similar to crepe
batter. Preparation of the tapenade:  Puree all ingredients in a food
processor, not too smooth but should  remain chunky. Let sit at room
temperature.  Presentation  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Heat a heavy
saute pan and add a drizzle of olive oil over high heat.  Get oil to
smoking point. Season the racks of lamb and sear well on  all sides,
place in oven and cook for fifteen minutes until rare. Cut  a piece of
the herb butter and place on top of the rack of lamb. Put  back in oven
and cook another five to seven minutes until medium rare  and crust is
golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest for  five minutes. Cut
rack in half, between the chops and reserve warm.  In a small nonstick
pan, heat the olive oil over medium to high heat  and add the chick pea
batter. Color well on both sides. Place on a  warm plate and make as
many as you would like.  Place a small pile of the roasted pepper
ragout in the center, place  the rack of lamb on top and drizzle around
with tapenade. Garnish  with fried Italian parsley. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings. Recipe By     : Chef du Jour  Posted to MC-Recipe
Digest V1 #255  Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 14:32:14 PST  From:
minnie@juno.com (Louise M McCartney)

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