Food & Wine USA - (10)October 2020

102 OCTOBER 2020

oven, and quickly brush tops and sides

of lamb with about^1 / 4 cup glaze. Return

to oven, and roast until lamb reaches

desired degree of doneness, 5 to 8 min-

utes with an internal temperature of 125°F

for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to a cut-

ting board, and let rest 10 minutes.

4. Cut lamb between rib bones to sepa-
   rate into chops, and arrange on a serving
   platter. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt to
   taste. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons
   glaze, and serve remaining glaze on the
   side. —ALEXANDER SMALLS

WINE Full-bodied, fruit-forward red blend:

2018 Brown Estate Chaos Theory

Bourbon-Tea Julep

PHOTO P. 95

ACTIVE 10 MIN; TOTAL 25 MIN

SERVES 6

Tannins from black tea add a beautiful hint

of bitterness to this twist on a classic mint

julep. Oleo saccharum, also known as cit-

rus oil, is made by macerating citrus peels

in sugar. Made here with lemon, its bright

flavor is the perfect lift to finish each sip.

11 / 2 cups bourbon or corn whiskey

(such as Uncle Nearest)

2 black tea bags or 2 tsp. loose black

tea

1 / 2 cup Oleo Saccharum (citrus oil)

(recipe follows)

1 / 2 cup fresh mint leaves, plus mint

sprigs, for garnish

Crushed ice

Combine bourbon and tea bags in a

1-quart mason jar. Let steep 15 minutes.

Discard tea bags (or strain mixture, if

using loose tea), and return infused bour-

bon to jar. Add oleo saccharum, mint

leaves, and 1 cup ice; cover tightly with lid.

Shake vigorously until chilled. Fill 6 chilled

mint julep cups with crushed ice; strain

mixture into prepared cups. Garnish with

mint sprigs. —ALEXANDER SMALLS

MAKE AHEAD Bourbon can be infused up

to 1 month ahead and kept in a covered

container at room temperature.

Oleo Saccharum

ACTIVE 10 MIN; TOTAL 8 HR 10 MIN

MAKES ABOUT^3 / 4 CUP

This vibrant and sweet lemon oil–based

syrup comes together overnight and

brightens any cocktail, punch, or iced tea.

Zest of 4 lemons, removed with a

vegetable peeler

1 cup granulated sugar

1. Remove any white pith from strips of
   lemon zest. Combine zest and sugar in a

medium bowl, and gently crush zest

with sugar using a wooden spoon or

muddler until combined. Let mixture

rest, covered, at room temperature, at

least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

2. Strain liquid into an airtight con-
   tainer, pressing on lemon peels to
   extract as much liquid as possible.
   —ALEXANDER SMALLS

MAKE AHEAD Oleo saccharum may be

covered and refrigerated up to 1

month.

Pear-Apricot Rum Cooler

PHOTO P. 97

TOTAL 5 MIN; SERVES 1

Sweet, floral pears and jammy dried

apricots lighten up the rich caramel

notes of the dark rum in this fall-forward

cocktail. Amber agave nectar lends its

butterscotch-like sweetness without

overpowering the fruit. Don’t skip the

crushed ice; it melts just enough with-

out watering down the flavor.

1 / 4 cup (2 oz.) Pear-Apricot Infused

Rum (recipe follows)

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

11 /^2 Tbsp. amber agave nectar

Crushed ice

Combine infused rum, lemon juice,

and agave nectar in an ice-filled cock-

tail shaker. Cover with lid, and shake

vigorously until well chilled, about 20

seconds. Strain mixture into a cocktail

glass filled with crushed ice. —HEATHER

DOLLAND TAMAM

Pear-Apricot Infused Rum

ACTIVE 10 MIN; TOTAL 24 HR 10 MIN

MAKES ABOUT 2^1 / 4 CUPS

In just 24 hours, fresh pears and dried

apricots add bright, sweet flavor to

dark rum. Choose very ripe pears for

the best infusion; their developed sug-

ars lend flavor, not just sweetness, to

the rum.

1 (750-ml.) bottle dark rum (such

as Myers’s)

3 medium-size unpeeled ripe

Bartlett pears, cored and sliced

6 oz. dried apricots (about 1 cup),

halved crosswise

Combine rum, pears, and apricots in a

2-quart wide-mouth jar; cover tightly

with lid. Let stand at room tempera-

ture 24 hours. Strain and discard sol-

ids. —HEATHER DOLLAND TAMAM

MAKE AHEAD Infused rum can be

stored in a covered container in

refrigerator up to 1 month.

Roasted Lamb Chops with

Brown Sugar–Rum Glaze

PHOTO P. 97

ACTIVE 35 MIN; TOTAL 1 HR 25 MIN

SERVES 4 TO 6

Sticky-sweet, perfectly tender lamb chops

bring a taste of Southern barbecue

indoors and pair perfectly with Alexander

Smalls’ creamy, greens-laced macaroni

and cheese (recipe p. 100). Use a light

hand when glazing these lamb chops to let

their herby, garlicky flavor shine through.

If the glaze begins to set, gently warm it

over low heat before serving.

LAMB

2 heads garlic, peeled

1 / 4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves

2 Tbsp. rubbed sage

2 (2-lb.) racks of lamb, frenched

1 Tbsp. kosher salt

11 / 2 tsp. black pepper

Flaky sea salt, to taste

GLAZE

3 /^4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 / 4 cup unsalted vegetable stock

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

11 / 2 Tbsp. soy sauce

11 / 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 / 2 tsp. kosher salt

1 / 4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 /^4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 thyme sprig

1 rosemary sprig

2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) gold rum

1. Make the lamb: Combine garlic cloves,
   olive oil, rosemary, and sage in a food pro-
   cessor. Process until mixture is finely
   chopped, about 30 seconds, stopping to
   scrape sides of bowl as needed. Sprinkle
   lamb all over with kosher salt and pepper.
   Rub evenly with garlic mixture. Place
   lamb, fat side up, on an aluminum foil–
   lined rimmed baking sheet. Let stand at
   room temperature 45 minutes.


2. Meanwhile, make the glaze: Preheat
   oven to 450°F with oven rack in upper
   third of oven. Stir together brown sugar,
   vegetable stock, butter, soy sauce, Dijon,
   salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, thyme, and rose-
   mary in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil
   over medium-high, stirring occasionally.
   Reduce heat to medium-low, and sim-
   mer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is
   syrupy and has reduced to about^2 / 3 cup,
   25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat.
   Remove and discard herb sprigs. Let cool
   5 minutes, and stir in rum. Set aside.


3. Roast lamb in preheated oven until
   browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Remove from