Rack of Lamb with Mint Dressing and Candied Apricot Puree 

Joie de Vivre

recipes by Katherine’s Château | photography by Clay Dolan

Winter on the Escarpment is a season of serene beauty, and Katherine’s Château is the perfect place to savour it in style. This champagne bistro and home décor boutique, the vision of entrepreneur Katherine Gregory, blends refined elegance with a welcoming spirit. At the heart of the Château’s culinary magic is Chef Andrew, whose inventive creations balance a modern flair with timeless French classics. Each dish invites you to slow down, gather close, and relish time together. In this feature, Chef Andrew shares two of his favourite recipes, offering a glimpse into the artistry and passion behind the menu at Katherine’s Château. 

MONKFISH WITH SAFFRON BROTH

This elegant dish highlights the delicate flavour of monkfish, enhanced by a fragrant saffron broth that adds a touch of luxury. The marinade brings out the natural sweetness of the fish while ensuring it stays tender and moist. Paired with the aromatic broth, this recipe is perfect for a sophisticated solo dinner or as part of a multi-course meal. We recommend serving it with crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth or alongside roasted vegetables for a well-rounded plate. Serves 1.

Plan on approximately 150g per person of Monkfish. The first step is to remove the membrane from the monkfish. Most seafood retailers will do this for you.

Monkfish is very lean so it needs to be placed in a marinade for approximately 2 hours.

MARINADE
Combine:
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• ½ lemon, sliced
• ½ bunch tarragon
• ¼ cup olive oil

TO FRY FISH
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper

Remove the fish from the marinade and pat it dry thoroughly to avoid excess moisture in the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil and butter on high heat. Place the fish in the oil and butter and fry until crispy on the outside and firm on the inside (Use a thermometer to ensure an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).

SAFFRON BROTH
• 1 litre fish stock
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 carrots, minced
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence
• 3 oz dry white wine
• 1 to 2 oz lemon juice
• salt
• potato starch or 1 potato

Lightly sauté minced shallots and minced carrots to make a mirepoix. Add the mirepoix and herbes de Provence to the fish stock and reduce for 10 minutes.

Add white wine and continue reducing for 5 minutes. Strain. Add lemon juice and salt to taste.

Combine potato starch with water to make a slurry and add to fish stock. Stir until thickened. Note: if you don’t have potato starch, peel and grate a potato and add to broth. Sir until the potato is dissolved and the broth has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FENNEL POTATO SLAW WITH CHIVE BALSAMIC DRESSING 

INGREDIENTS
• 1 fennel bulb (or substitute with jicama)
• 350 gr mini potatoes
• 1 bunch of chives
• 250 ml olive oil
• 125 ml white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• pinch of garlic powder
• pinch of herbes de Provence

Remove the core of the fennel and slice thinly.

Boil the potatoes whole to keep the flavour in. Once cooked, drain and let cool. 

To make the dressing, combine chives, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic powder and herbes de Provence. 

To serve, toss the thinly sliced fennel and cooled halved potatoes in the dressing. 

RACK OF LAMB WITH MINT DRESSING,
Couscous AND CANDIED APRICOT PUREE 

A show-stopping centrepiece, this rack of lamb is elevated with a honey glaze, a crispy panko crust, and the bright, herbaceous notes of mint dressing. The candied apricot purée adds a subtle sweetness, perfectly complementing the lamb’s rich flavour. This dish pairs beautifully with couscous for a complete and satisfying meal. Ideal for special occasions or an intimate winter dinner party. Serves 4. 

INGREDIENTS
• 1 rack of lamb
• 4 tbsp grape seed oil
• salt and pepper
• glaze (see recipe below)
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs 

GLAZE FOR LAMB
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1 tsp shallots, minced 

Prepare lamb rack by patting dry. Brush lightly with grape seed oil and season with salt and pepper. Sear lamb quickly in hot pan until golden brown. Remove from pan and let cool to room temperature.

Combine honey, garlic and shallots to make the glaze. Brush the lamb with the glaze and pat the bread crumb mixture onto lamb. Place in roasting pan and roast at 450 degrees approximately 13 to 15 minutes on the lowest oven rack until medium (internal temperature should be 130 to 135 degrees).

COUSCOUS
• chicken stock
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 2 shallots
• mint dressing (see recipe below)
• parsley for garnish 

Measure a 1:1 ratio of couscous and chicken stock. Bring the chicken stock to a boil. When the chicken stock is boiling, add the couscous, cover the pot, and remove from the heat. 

Chop 2 ripe tomatoes and 2 shallots. Chop parsley for garnish. When couscous is room temperature, gently fold in vegetables and mint dressing. 

MINT DRESSING
• 2 bundles of mint, finely chopped
• 1 small shallot
• 250 ml of champagne vinegar
• 2 tbsp white sugar 

Dissolve sugar in champagne vinegar. Add shallots and mix. Once the sugar is dissolved, add in the mint mixing gently so as to not bruise the mint. This dressing is best made the day before. 

CANDIED APRICOT PUREE
• 1 cup of dried apricots
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt to taste 

On very low setting, heat apricots and wine with a pinch of salt until apricots are fully hydrated and soft. Blend until smooth. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice. 

To plate, spread the apricot puree on a plate with a scoop of couscous. Slice lamb rack and place on couscous. Drizzle any leftover mint dressing around the lamb.