Each Friday, InterWined.com pairs one great wine with one great meal and publishes the results along with the recipe in a little feature it likes to call ‘Blow the Bank’.

This week is a busy one for the world religions, from Baha’i to Zoroastrianism and nearly every other alphabetically in between.

So, today, ‘Blow the Bank’ brings the world a little closer together with InterWined’s Own Rosemary Rack of Lamb with Dolcelatta Polenta.

Not only does Easter, Purim, and Mawlid an-nabi fall within the third week of March this year, but so too does the Vernal Equinox and a host of New Years and religious Spring festivals. And while there is no single food that could satisfy the observers of all of these holidays, there’s certainly one that comes pretty close — at least close enough to bring together Christianity, Judaism, and Islam — which on the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq is surely no bad thing.

What is this miracle foodstuff, you ask? Well, thank Abraham; it’s the humble little lamb, of course, that delectable little animal so prevalent in Judeo-Christian symbolism and essential to Islam’s Eid Al-Adha celebration.

And interfaith reconciliation aside, it’s also arguably the perfect companion to the totally haraam and non-kosher Pinor Noir. The 2005 Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Clos Bortier (12.5%) from Caroline Lestime and Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard, currently available in store only from Oddbins, makes for simply a great match to InterWined’s Own Rosemary Rack of Lamb with Dolcelatta Polenta — if only for the goyim.

There’s a great deal of subtly the 2005 Clos Bortier, with a touch of cherry on the nose and tannin in the aftertaste. The tannin in the wine marries very well with lamb, while its limited potency prevents it from clashing with the creaminess of the dolcelatta.

InterWined’s Own Recipe in Full

Rosemary Rack of Lamb with Dolcelatta Polenta

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1 egg
Breadcrumbs
Rosemary twigs
Rack of lamb, French-trim recommended
Vine tomatoes
100g of Polenta
150g of Dolcelatta or Gorgonzola, cubed or grated
Thick balsamic vinegar
Ground black pepper

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°
2. In a saucepan or skillet, heat some olive oil and seal the rack of lamb
3. Leave to rest for approximately 5 minutes
4. Lightly whisk an egg in a bowl or container large enough to rest the rack of lamb
5. In food processor, mix the breadcrumbs with several twigs of rosemary, before placing a separate bowl or container equally large enough to rest the lamb rack
6. Dip the rack of lamb, fat-side down, into the egg followed by the breadcrumb mix to create a simple crust
7. Lay the rack of lamb on a baking tray and cook for 25-30 minutes (cover with foil, should the breadcrumbs begin to brown too quickly)
8. On a second baking tray place the vine tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil, before roasting for approximately 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are ready to burst from their skins
9. Once cooked, remove both the rack of lamb and tomatoes from the oven to rest
10. In a saucepan, bring 400ml of water before adding 100g of polenta
11. Stir the mixture vigorously, while adding the cubed or grated cheese
12. Cook for approximately 1-2 minutes
13. Serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar

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