Grilled Rack of Lamb with Saffron Rice

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
• 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) French-cut rack of lamb (8 ribs)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Preparation

1. 1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add rice and next 3 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Keep warm.
2. 2. Prepare grill.
3. 3. Combine salt and next 6 ingredients (through pepper). Brush lamb with oil, and rub with salt mixture. Place lamb on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes, turning once or until a thermometer registers 145° (medium-rare) to 160° (medium). Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into chops. Serve lamb with rice.
4. Wine note: Lamb—even spicy lamb like this—is one of the most flexible meats when it comes to wine. It goes with just about every major red varietal. That said, when spice plays a key role, as it does here, I love to choose a thick, rich, spicy red that will both mirror the spiciness of the dish and act as a soft, thick backdrop. An Australian shiraz is perfect. And since this is a special, fairly expensive cut of meat, I've chosen a wine worthy of it: Penfolds St. Henri 2003 from South Australia, $42. —Karen MacNeil