Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

Food Trend: I read an article recently listing the most popular foods of 2013 and culinary predictions for 2014. It said to say goodbye to pork belly and meet lamb belly. Though i’m not a fan of gelatinous fatty meats, I do love Lamb Chops! 

Inspiration: My husband David was brave enough to make a solo Costco run last week. He called me from the meat section, and while we were discussing chicken, he found a rack of lamb, already frenched, for $12!!! Should he buy it? Absolutely!

Adaptation: Lamb Chops were actually the fist dish I ever cooked for David, so they have a special plate in our food history. I usually make individual chops on the cast iron, but a rack calls for a delicious crust. I served it with mixed mushrooms in a “secret sauce” originally developed by my mom but altered by me, and a lemon tossed Baby Arugula Salad.

Prep Photos & Tips

To make the crust for the lamb, I mixed garlic, rosemary (from my garden that is miraculously still alive), parsley, lemon zest and olive oil in my mini Cuisinart Food Processor. You want it to have a paste-like consistency. So after my first run in the processor it was very liquidy. So I added about a tablespoon of breadcrumbs and a bit more herbs until it was just right. This can easily be a 30-minute meal. I suggest making this crust while you pre-heat the oven.

Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then cover the back meaty side  of the lamb with the crust. I like to fully cover the meat so I can get a pretty thick crust.

25 Minutes in the oven and Voila, dinner is ready! It’s so simple and will really impress your friends!

I cut the rack into double chops then served with baby arugula (simply tossed in lemon & EVOO) and a side of mixed mushrooms in a red wine and balsamic sauce. Enjoy!

Garlic and Rosemary Crusted Rack of Lamb

2014-01-13 11:44:47

Serves 2

Frenched Rack of Lamb with a Garlic Herb Crust!

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

1 x Frenched Rack of Lamb, about 1.5lbs. (Mine was $12 from Costco!!!)

7 Cloves Garlic

4-5 Sprigs Rosemary - leaves removed

15-20 Sprigs Parsley - leaves removed

1/4 Cup EVOO

1-2 Tbsp Unseasoned Bread Crumbs

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

While oven preheats, combine the garlic, rosemary, parsley, lemon zest and EVOO in a mini food processor. Check consistency. If it is too watery, add about a Tbsp of breadcrumbs and a few more parsley leaves until the mixture becomes a paste.

Season the Lamb with Salt & Pepper then fully cover the back meaty part of the rack with the crust mixture.

Roast the lamb for 15 minutes, then turn your pan around, and cook for another 10 minutes. This will give you a Medium-Rare cook on your meat.

Transfer the rack to a carving board and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then cut into double chops and serve!

Notes

Whatever sauce you choose to serve - homemade or bottled - heat have it heated on a low flame while your lamb rests. After you cut the lamb transfer the juices to the sauce and combine to get the ultimate lamb sauce!

By Julie Zucker

Press Worthy Eats http://www.pressworthyeats.com/