What the Heck is a Noisette, Anyway?


Definition Paraphrased:

It’s obvious now that I should have included a bit of Brigit Binns’ prelude to the “Seared Lamb Noisettes with Pea, Feta and Mint Salad”, as discovered when both the Grill Maestro and our own Garage Guy confessed that they didn’t know what the heck a noisette was…. Well, fair enough — and shame on me!! The author explains that noisettes are “very popular in England but rarely seen in the United States” and are made from racks of lamb by cutting the meat away from the bones, while leaving it in one piece. An 8-bone rack would produce 8 noisettes by tying it like a roast in 8 equidistant places, then cutting the meat crosswise. But as I mentioned, the presentation, in my opinion, is much nicer with the bones in and I *really* hate to waste a single morsel of lamb!

If you’re as much of a grill fanatic as the G-Maestro, the Garage Guy or me, don’t hesitate to shift from noisettes or racks to loin chops, which we did with friends for Easter dinner (about 5 minutes a side for medium-rare, using 1-inch chops)!! Even better, because it’s so versatile, use that 4-ingredient marinade on chicken (wings, breasts…) and pork tenderloin — throw in some basil for an extra dimension of flavour!

~ One of Seven

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cool - i thought they were some sort of fancy french snot rocket!!!!!!

Well, I guess if I had used some freakin’ *imagination*, they might have been!! I do have to recommend the “Food Lover’s Companion” — basically a handy-dandy foodie encyclopedia — to anyone who likes to do a little research into the new and nifty terms they sometimes find in recipes. It also offers wine and cocktail references, an ingredient substitution chart and a bunch of other crazy stuff you didn’t even realize you need!! ISBN 0-7641-1258-9