Image © Giselle de Roché
Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
Course:
Main Dish
Cuisine:
Caribbean
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 4-6 sprigs rosemary
- 1 ½ cups dried breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
For the Lamb:
- 2 frenched racks of lamb about 1 ½ lb. per rack
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp. prepared mustard the condiment that comes in a bottle/jar
Preparation
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Make the crust: strip the thyme and rosemary from their woody stalks and place in the bowl of a food processor. Discard the stalks. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of oil to the blender and pulse until the mixture is nice and green. Add a bit more oil if needed to get the mixture to turn more easily. Transfer the mixture into a deep dish and set aside.
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Make the lamb: pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown the lamb 1 rack at a time, turning once, about 4 minutes per rack. When lamb has a nice brown crust, remove from the heat. Use a basting brush and spread the mustard all over the lamb. Cover the lamb with the breadcrumb mixture on all sides using your hands to press it gently so that it adheres. Transfer to a large roasting pan, arranging fatty sides up and place in the oven.
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Roast lamb until meat thermometer inserted diagonally, 2 inches into centre (do not touch bone) registers 130° F . For medium rare bake for about 25 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. Let stand for 10 minutes, then cut into chops.
Cook's Notes
“Frenched rack of lamb” means that the meat, cartilage and fat between the tips of the rib bones have been clean to make for a neat presentation. When cooked, it makes it easy to cut the rack into chops