Herb Crusted Rack Of Lamb

🤍 Recipe Highlights

I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about this herb crusted lamb rack recipe in the points below:

• A practical approach: with deliberate intent creating a herb rub that will impart maximum flavour to the lamb, there is also a handling of each ingredient chosen to compliment and not over power the other (parsley, basil, garlic and yum!).
• Taste and texture: there is the juicy lamb meat, the firm, hard rib bone and the sensation of chewing that off as you devour these, it makes for an all round great dish.
• Family friendly: as much as there is flavour to the moon and back in this dish, it is not hot or spicy. Created in a fuss free manner, everyone from little kids to big ones will love getting their chops around this easy recipe. And hey, if they want to pick up the exposed bone and chow on down without their knife and fork, let's not stop them 😉. Etiquette is not a requirement of the eating process.
• Simple flavor combination: some recipes call for using expensive, not everyday ingredient where things add up really fast. By using a combination of fresh (can use homegrown) and dried herbs we take a practical approach to creating delightful flavor without great expense ie using only fresh herbs at $3 - $4 per herb.
• Weekend cooking: when you work Monday to Friday, one of the things you can look forward to is the weekends when you can spend more time cooking! It can be a super enjoyable way to spend time in your kitchen getting your cook on with more time than you are afforded during the week. This recipe takes more time than a quick pasta and delivers fantastic pat yourself on the back results 😂.
• Alternative protein: it can be really easy to roast a chicken. But you can also get really bored eating the same thing every night! Stepping out of the comfort zone of 'same, same', allows you to learn and enjoy other proteins that you might find insanely delicious! Think Pork, Beef, Seafood as other Tofu versatile protein options.

🥗 Ingredients

The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the herb crusted lamb recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.

As you can see the recipe calls for:

• Olive oil: we use a little bit of olive oil to brown the rack of lamb before we coat it in the seasoning. Doing so locks in the flavor of the meat.
• Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper for seasoning in the recipe. Kosher salt or cooking salt is recommended over table salt.
• Garlic: you can use 2 fresh garlic cloves, chunky chopped garlic or minced garlic from a jar. Whichever is the easiest for you 😁👌.
• Oregano: we use some less commonly seen fresh dried herbs as a compliment to the more common fresh herbs. The dried oregano is the 1st of the 2 dried herbs.
• Thyme: the dried thyme is the 2nd of the dried herbs used in the recipe.
• Horseradish cream: we use the horseradish cream as a means for the herb rub to 'stick' to the meat. It has a little tang about it and offers an exceptional little 'oomph' to the lamb.
• Panko breadcrumbs: these bright white and crisp breadcrumbs are commonly used in Japanese recipes! They have a larger crumb than traditional breadcrumbs and help give the herb crust a little crispy texture.
• Parsley: I like using fresh parsley for this recipe. The flat Italian leaf is what is shown in the photo above and recommended over curly parsley. We want to trim the leaves from the stems (discard).
• Basil: as above for the basil, we trim the stems and discard these, using the leaves only.
• Rack of lamb: if you purchase this from your local grocery store, it will likely be cheaper than one from the butcher. However, you will have a little bit of work to do to get it ready to cook. If you purchase the rack of lamb from your local butcher you will get a premium product prepared with skill that is ready to go. The choice of which you go with is whichever is your personal preference.

Top Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making my recipes. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.

🍳 Instructions

Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by preparing the lamb rack. You will need a cutting board and sharp knife for these initial steps.

• Remove the membrane (Photo 1)
• Trim the lamb rack (Photo 2)
• Brown the lamb in a hot pan (Photo 3)
• Add parsley, basil and garlic to a food processor (Photo 4)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Herb Crusted Lamb Rack

To make the herb crusted lamb rack start by preparing the lamb. To do this we want to remove the membrane, fat layer and then cut the additional fat away to expose the raw bones and meat. This process doesn't have to be perfect and you will get better at this task each time to undertake it. The membrane is the silver skin on the back side of the rack of lamb. If you start at one corner and pull it will come away easily

Once the meat is prepared, place a large frying pan onto the stove top, turn the heat to high and then add the rack of lamb (meat side down) allow this to brown for 2-3 minutes before using tongs to flip it to the other side and repeat the browning process for a further 2-3 minutes.

Once both sides of the lamb are golden brown, turn the heat off and then use the tongs to transfer the rack to a paper towel lined chopping board.

Next start to make the herb crumb. To do so add the parsley leaves, basil leaves and garlic cloves to a food process and blitz to combine.

• Brown both sides of the rack (Photo 5)
• Gather the herb mixture ingredients (Photo 6)
• Stir to consistently combine (Photo 7)
• Brush the browned lamb with horseradish cream (Photo 8)

🍖 Rack Of Lamb In Oven

Once you have blitzed the fresh herbs and garlic cloves, measure 1 cup of this and then add it to a small bowl. Then add the panko breadcrumbs, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper.

Stir as you see me having done in the photo above until the mixture is consistently combined.

Next place the browned lamb into a greased baking dish or tray. Then use a pastry brush to cover the 1st side in the horseradish cream. Once you have, scoop some of the herb mixture onto the lamb and gently push so that it 'sticks' to the horseradish.

Then gently flip the rack to the other side and repeat this process to coat both sides in the breadcrumb mixture. We want the fat side to be facing up when we place the lamb onto the preheated oven on the middle shelf.

• Push herb mix into lamb (Photo 9)
• Flip to the other side and coat with horseradish (Photo 10)
• Then brush the herb mixture into this side (Photo 11)
• Bake for 30 mins, then cover and bake for 20 mins (Photo 12)

🥩 Oven Rack Of Lamb

After the lamb has cooked for 25-30 minutes, use oven mitts to remove the dish and place it onto a heatproof surface.

If you like your lamb very tender, you can stop at this point as the lamb will be medium rare. If however, you would like the meat to be cooked a little bit further you can cover the dish with aluminum foil and return it to the oven for a further 15 to 20 minutes. This will stop the crumb from browning too far but also give you that little bit further cooked meat.

Once it is cooked, remove it from the oven, place it onto a heatproof surface and let the roasted rack of lamb rest before using a knife to slice the rack into portions.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

You are practically unlimited when it comes to options to pair with the lamb. Potatoes are always a good choice. If you like them crispy, the Duck Fat Roast Potatoes will work well. For soft potatoes try the Potato And Cauliflower Bake, Garlic Butter Potatoes or the Horseradish Mashed Potatoes.

For a non potato based side try the Mashed Peas, Fried Cabbage and Bacon or the Crumbed Mushrooms.

Steamed green beans and or peas are a good option requiring little effort to accompany the meat also.

You can also throw some extra garlic cloves into the baking dish before cooking the lamb and use these as an additional side.

The plate below shows the lamb with the Potato And Broccoli Bake. It is an easy combination of an oven baked main and side dish that doesn't need a lot more to tie things together.

For a wine pairing try a chilled rose, crisp pinot gris for white wine lovers or a smooth red like a pinot noir for red wine fans.

Grab a couple of knives, forks, plates, head to the dinner table and get ready to dig in 😁👌.

👍 How to Guide

How to Store

Store leftovers of the lamb in a sealed, airtight container. They can be kept for 2 days and need to be reheated before being consumed.

How to Freeze

Lamb is a delicate meat and can dry out when cooked then frozen. In which case you are better to repurpose the lamb ie stir through pasta, add to a salad or use as a pizza topping as opposed to freezing it.

How to Reheat

Reheat leftovers of the lamb on a plate covered with cling wrap. They can be reheated in the microwave on high for 1 minute increments until heated through and will likely only need 2-3 minutes total.

😉 Substitutions and Variations

Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:

• You can use dijon mustard in place of the horseradish cream if you wish too.
• You can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder in place of the fresh garlic cloves if you need too.
• If you want to use this herb mixture on other cuts of lamb ie lamb cutlets you can.
• Add 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese to the herb crumb if you wish too.
• Or add a tablespoon of lemon zest if you prefer.

💡 Tasty Tips

Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:

• If you don't want to prepare the rack of lamb yourself, you can purchase it from the butcher, where they will do this for you.
• If you want your meat to be cooked 'rare' reduce the cook time to 25-30 minutes. You can use a kitchen thermometer to test the temperature of the meat if you are not sure that it is cooked.
• The lamb as shown in the photos through out the post was cooked for 50 minutes on the middle shelf of a moderate oven. It is more 'medium' but still soft and tender. I don't recommend cooking the lamb for longer than this time frame. This is because it will continue to cook somewhat as the heat dissipates and for a cut like a rack of lamb the meat can become tough if over cooked. If you however, insist on 'well done meat', I won't stop you my friend 😁👍. The degree of doneness is your call!
• Love lamb recipes? Then you might also like to try the Greek Leg Of Lamb, BBQ Lamb Ribs, Greek Lamb Chops, Slow Cooker Lamb Stew or the Lamb Osso Bucco 😉👌.

🤓 Frequently Asked Questions

Do you cut rack of lamb before cooking?

You can either prepare the rack of lamb but cutting away the fat yourself or purchase the rack from the butcher where this will be done for you.

Should you flip the rack of lamb?

You can flip the rack when you are browning it on the stove top to lock in the flavor. But there is no need when cooking it in the oven to flip it. It should be meat side facing up.

Does lamb get softer the longer you cook it?

This depends on the cut of lamb you are cooking. Lamb cutlets and a rack of lamb will get tougher once it starts to go past the recommend cook time. However, lamb shanks or a lamb shoulder when cooked low and slow will get more tender as the cooking time increases.

😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes

Whether it be a weeknight when you don't have a lot of time or a weekend when you can take more time, dinner is the most thought about meal of the day! Here are some recipes offering a variety of cook times, methods, proteins and flavor pairings to offer you even more ways to get dinner sorted:

• Fettuccine Alfredo With Scallops
• Thai Minced Pork
• Baked Ziti With Meatballs
• Ham Fried Rice
• Scallop Pesto Pasta
• Cajun Prawns
• Steak Risotto
• Pork Belly Fried Rice
• Scallop Fried Rice
• Beef Short Rib Ragu

It is time to get our rack of lamb on my friend! You can also find all of my popular recipes or family favorites in the one spot.

Adrianne

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