COOK LIKE CROCKER

Coconut shrimp craving satisfied courtesy of the character’s new book.

Lamb is typically set aside for special occasions. This holds true especially for a rack of lamb — one of the pricier cuts. But rack of lamb is noted for its terrific flavor and for being versatile and easy to prepare.

If you bought rack of lamb for a dinner and find yourself stumped at what to do with it, rack of lamb taste best with a sear. And so, this pan-seared lamb recipe is just for you. With a few simple steps, minus the marinating time, you will have a nicely seasoned and crusted rack from oven to table in under an hour.

But before you get started, here are some tips on buying, preparing and cooking your rack of lamb.

What should you buy?

Rack of lamb that’s already packaged may already have the bones “Frenched” — meaning the meat and fat are cut away between the bones. This makes the final presentation nicer and it’s easier to cut into individual pieces. Most butchers will do this for you, but it’s easy to do yourself. Don’t worry if you don’t do this, the end result will still look terrific.

The prepackaged rack of lamb typically has eight bones and weights about 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 pounds — which is plenty to serve two people. Prices vary, but expect to pay more than $15 per pound and upward to $25.

How should you cook rack of lamb?

You can broil it, grill it or oven roast it whole or individual chops. Once cut into chops (sometimes they are called lollipops) they can be served as appetizers or as a main dish.

For a main dish, allow 3-4 chops per serving along with a vegetable and starch side.

How do you prepare for cooking?

In this recipe, the lamb rack is cut in half so it fits into a skillet — unless you have a large enough ovenproof skillet to hold it.

The lamb is also marinated for 2 hours and up to overnight. If you want to keep it simple, you can also season with a good amount of kosher salt and pepper.

What’s the best way to cook?

Sear fatty-side down first for a few minutes until browned. Turn and sear the meat “eye” edge until it’s browned.

Turn again so it’s fatty-side up and transfer to the oven to finish cooking.

How long should you cook it?

Medium-rare is how I like them. Don’t risk ruining the lamb or any other meat for that matter. Buy and use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature.

Look for about 125-130 degrees as a final internal temperate of the center of the meat. The outer edges will be done more, but the center should be mediumrare. Take it out the pan at about 120 degrees. Tent it with foil and let it rest a good 10 minutes — the temperature will continue to rise.

While the lamb rests, you can make an optional sauce with the pan juices.