Recipe: Crown Roast of Lamb with Glazed Onions and Asparagus Stuffing

Crown Roast of Lamb with Glazed Onions and Asparagus Stuffing
rec.food.cooking/Eric Trimboli (1995)

For a very special dinner... Without question, this is my favorite dish and well worth the effort.

Two 1 3/4 pound racks of lamb, tied together at the ends to form a crown.
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sugar
24 pearl onions, peeled
6 tablespoons chicken stock

Asparagus stuffing
2 lb asparagus washed trimmed and peeled
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 cups white breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 egg white
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Form crown with the racks or order this way from your butcher. Cover exposed bone tips with foil and season with salt and pepper.

To make the stuffing cut off the asparagus tips so that they are about
3 inches long and set them aside. Cut the stalks into thin slices and blanch them in boiling water for less than a minute. Skim the slices from the water and drain well. Save the water in the pot and add the tips and cook for 3 minutes or until just tender. Run cold water over the tips and drain well.

Heat the oil for the stuffing over medium-low heat and add the chopped onion. If your yellow onions are small use two. Reduce the heat to low and cook onion until soft. (but not brown) approx 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sliced asparagus stalks and continue cooking for three minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon zest and egg white. Season with some salt and black pepper and squeeze gently together.

Fill the center of the crown with the stuffing. Roast for 10 minutes then lower temp to 350 and continue roasting for 55 minutes.

Fifteen minutes before the crown is ready prepare the garnish. Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium-low heat and sprinkle in the sugar. Heat until the sugar turns a golden caramel. Add the onions and shake the pan gently until they are evenly coated. Reduce heat to low add the stock and cover the pan. Cook 12 minutes or until onions are tender then add the asparagus tips. Cook 2 minutes more and serve on the platter with the roast.

A nice touch is to serve the roast with paper frills on the bone tips (ask your butcher for them) and carve at the table.