Grilled Harissa Rack of Lamb with Summer Succotash

We started really appreciating the gamey flavor of lamb after a trip to New Zealand years past. Lamb was on the menu everyday as we biked our way through the Southern Alps on the South Island. There are more lambs in this small, open and beautiful country than there are people. Reading the food labels more carefully, I learn that the supply of lamb here in the US comes mostly from Australia. Meanwhile, Curtis Stone, the featured chef at IHCC, got his inspiration for this dish from a trip to Morocco where harissa is a spice mixture used to flavor lamb. Combining the spice and the lamb juices season everything on the plate. Obviously, at this time of the year, I can’t get enough of the local sweet corns. Inexpensive, succulent and sweet. There you have it: a perfect BBQ dish of grilled harissa rack of lamb with summer succotash. It is the result of exciting cuisine from around the world.

I only made half of the lamb recipe, since meat is not really my thing, although I enjoy eating it more than I’d admit. But I don’t miss it.

Didn’t fire up the outdoor grill this time. It takes too long to heat up the whole grill. I opted for the stove top with the trusty heavy-duty cast-iron grill and pans (the most used and functional cookware in my kitchen). Generally, I have a better feel and control grilling on the gas stove, without having to deal with the flare-ups. I doubled the amount of the summer succotash, the kind of food in which we don’t hesitate to indulge.

Another important tip: For a medium-rare meat, grill until internal temperature reaches 125°F. I used my trusty ThermoWorks Thermapen to poke into the thickest part of the meat to test the internal temperature.

What I love most about this recipe is the variety and combination of vegetables: green beans, corn and zucchini. In addition to the rack of lamb, there are two other ingredients: olive oil and harissa paste, without counting salt and pepper for seasoning. That’s all she wrote. Uncomplicated, yet richly complex in flavor.

The flavor and smell was unbelievable. I had a difficult time keeping the bees and the flies from swarming to the meat when I tried to get a few shots outdoor. The lighting conditions were getting dim for indoor photography at dinnertime. You may sense haste in these picture; we wanted to get to the food first before the bees. Happy grilling!

For a medium-rare meat, grill until internal temperature reaches 125°F