Oven-Roasted Rack of Goat With Fresh Thyme & Garlic

Serves 4

Phillipe Gandiol, an artist friend, said he'd like to come over and do a painting of my house. I suggested he stay for dinner and bring his wife. Since he is French and a wonderful cook as well as artist, I felt the meal needed to be special but not fussy. I decided on a simple rack of goat as the entree, accompanied by artichokes and favas. Rice also makes a good partner. Note the marinating time needed for the meat.

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil + more as needed for oiling the pan
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves with thyme blossoms (if available) + extra sprigs or blossoms for garnish
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 stalks green garlic, white portion only, thinly sliced, or 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 half racks of goat, 8 ribs each, frenched (see Note)

Instructions: Combine the olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl to make a marinade. Place the racks in a shallow dish and rub with the marinade , turning several times to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before roasting (preferably overnight), turning from time to time.

Preheat an oven to 475°. Remove meat from the marinade, and discard any remaining pieces of garlic and thyme clinging to the racks. Lightly oil an oven-proof frying pan. Over medium-high heat, sear the racks until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Spread any excess marinade over the racks and place them in the oven, fat side up. Roast until the racks are richly browned, the meat is pulling back slightly from the bone, and a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the racks registers 135° for medium rare, about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the racks, or 140° for medium. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.

To serve: Cut into "double" chops, which have two rib bones per "chop" - four double chops per half rack. Place two double chops on each of 4 warmed dinner plates, or serve family-style on a warmed platter. Garnish with the remaining thyme. Serve immediately.

Note: Racks of goat - less consistent in size than racks of lamb - can range in size from less than a pound to almost 1 1/2 pounds, so adjust cooking time accordingly.

The calories and other nutrients absorbed from marinades vary and are difficult to estimate. Variables include the type of food, marinating time and amount of surface area. Therefore, there is no analysis.

Wine pairing: Full-bodied Pinot Noir, Chateauneuf du Pape or Amarone della Valpolicella will all work. Try the 2005 Domaine Giraud Tradition Chateauneuf du Pape ($40).

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/06/FDJQ1D5C09.DTL#ixzz0rPYFsZ8f