Serves: 3.
A tender joint that is quickly cooked, and perfect for a great weekend treat. The well flavoured sauce adds taste and fibre. Ask the butcher to French trim the lamb for you.
Serve with steamed new potatoes and sugar snap peas for added carbohydrate, fibre with vitamins.
Rack of lamb, or best end of neck as it is also called, is packed with delicious flavour as well as protein, and vitamins plus some fat and iron.
Cook’s Tip
For ease and speed, simply add the sugar snap peas to the pan of boiling new potatoes, and return to simmering point, for the last 4 minutes of cooking time.
Prefer to thicken the gravy? In a small bowl, blend 1 rounded teaspoon cornflour with a little water, to a smooth paste, stir into the stock before adding to the pan, in point 13 of the recipe.
1x 700g lean rack lamb, French trimmed and at room temperature
2 Tsps. olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 Tsps. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. thyme leaves
1 Tsp. dries mixed herbs
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped, or 1 Tsp. Very Lazy Garlic, from a jar
2 medium size carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
300 ml lamb or chicken stock
1 Tsp. redcurrant or quince jelly
1. Pre-heat oven to 220℃, 200℃, Fan, Gas 7.
2. Pat lamb dry with absorbent kitchen paper. Season lamb all over with a little salt and pepper.
3. Spread fat of lamb with the mustard, then press the chopped parsley, thyme leaves and the dried herbs, onto the mustard.
4. Heat the oil in a heavy based, large frying pan. Add lamb, herb side down.
5. Leave to cook and seal for 5 minutes, until golden.
6. Turn and brown other side and the ends of the joint.
7. Arrange carrots and celery in a roasting tin, to form a raft. Transfer lamb and arrange on top of vegetables, herb side up. Retain any juices left in frying pan.
8. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes for medium cooked lamb, about 40-45 minutes if you like your lamb well done. A thermometer, inserted into middle of joint should read 82 C for medium cooked lamb.
9. Transfer to a carving board and cover with a tent of foil.
10. Set aside for 15 -20 minutes to rest.
11. Discard most of the fat in the frying pan, leaving about 2 teaspoons. Reheat fat.
12. Add shallots to the frying pan. Stir- fry for 5-7 minutes, over medium high heat, until soft and golden. Add a little water should shallots start to dry out. Stir in the vegetables from the roasting tin, with any pan juices.
13. Add garlic and cook stirring, for a further minute or two.
15. Stir in the chopped mint, stock and the redcurrant or quince jelly.
16. Simmer for a further 10-12 minutes, then season to taste.
17. Serve the lamb, carved into chops with the sauce poured over, accompanied by new potatoes and sugar snap peas.
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