The Rack of Lamb is a thing of beauty, the herb crust its crowning glory. I just love this cut of meat but it is not without its hazards when cooking. Over cooking and under cooking being the main problems.
Here is a guide to allow you to achieve the perfect result. I recommend two racks of lamb for 4/5 servings. Ideally 2 or 3 cutlets per person.
Ingredients
2 racks of lamb, french trimmed (ask your butcher to do this for you)
50g (2oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
Small bunch fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley, stalks removed
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
25g (1oz) butter (melted)
salt and pepper
teaspoon of minced garlic (optional
Put the herbs in a blender and whizz them until they are finely chopped. Add the breadcrumbs and the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to one side.(you could add some minced garlic at this point as well).
Take the lamb and brown in a pan – a few minutes on each side until well browned. Place in a roasting tin and smear it all over with dijon mustard. It’s best to do this with a pastry brush as you get a more even coating and it’s less messy in general. Then pressing down hard ,cover the lamb with the stuffing/ herb crust. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and cook for 20-25 minutes for slightly pink. If the cutlets are very small it may take less time.
Take it out of the oven and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes. Use a very sharp knife to cut through it so as not to dislodge all the lovely crust.
If you are not sure how the joint is doing, cut one of the cutlets off at the end before removing from the oven to rest to see if it is cooked correctly to your taste. Please remember though that the resting process will also allow the meat to cook a little further from the residual heat.
Good luck and let me know how you get on if you attempt this one!!
