There’s nothing quite as impressive as an expertly prepared rack of lamb. Get ready to wow your dinner guests (or impress the family, if you prefer) with this recipe from chef Jody Adams. Adams gets all kinds of flavor with a zesty marinade and incorporates mustard and breadcrumbs to create a crunchy crust on the juicy lamb slices.
Roasted Lamb Rack
Details
Servings: 4
Ingredients
for the marinade
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
- 3 anchovies, rinsed and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 half racks of lamb, trimmed to leave a thin layer of fat, chine bone removed (have your butcher do this for you)
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, plus more as necessary
- 2 cups dry breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, scrubbed and cut into quarters
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Directions
- Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Smear the racks with the marinade to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (you can leave the racks in the marinade for up to a day).
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in each of two large cast iron pans over medium-high heat. (If you don’t have 2 large pans, cook the lamb in batches and then transfer to a roasting pan.)
- Add the racks to the pans, meat side down, and sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook the second side for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Brush the meat side of the racks with mustard and then press a thick layer of crumbs onto the mustard. Drizzle each with a tablespoon or so of olive oil.
- Put the racks in the oven and roast until 125°F for medium rare, about 15 minutes.
- Allow to rest 8-10 minutes. Cut through the bones and serve with a lemon wedge.
