Mint Pesto-Crusted Racks Of Lamb Recipe

Publish Date
Wednesday, 16 September 2015, 10:47AM

This simple recipe is guaranteed to wow! Make new season lamb the centrepiece of your weekend menu with our mouthwatering lamb cutlets. The mint/lamb combo isn't unusual, but creating a herb crust adds a new and very pretty touch to this dish.


Serves: 4
Total Time: 50 minutes


Ingredients:
2 trimmed racks of lamb
1tbsp olive oil
15g butter

For the herb crust:
25g fresh mint leaves
2 garlic cloves
Grated zest 1 large lemon
50g unsalted raw cashew nuts
50g breadcrumbs
1tbsp olive oil
1tsp Dijon mustard

For the sauce:
2tsp redcurrant jelly
Splash Marsala wine or dry sherry
300ml lamb stock
1 fresh sprig rosemary

 
Method:

  1. Heat the oven to 200C.
  2. Trim the fat from the lamb, leaving a little intact. Season well all over with sea salt and ground black pepper.
  3. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When it begins to foam, add the lamb, skin-side down, and cook for 2 minutes on each side until browned all over. Remove and set aside.
  4. For the herb crust, place the mint in a food processor with the garlic, lemon zest, cashew nuts, breadcrumbs and olive oil, and whizz to a fine, vibrant-green mixture. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Brush each rack with mustard, then firmly press with the herb mixture.
  5. Place in a large roasting tin, herb crust side up, and roast for 25 to 35 minutes until medium-pink. Rest, covered in foil, for 5 minutes before cutting into cutlets to serve.
  6. While resting, make a quick sauce. Drain any excess fat from the frying pan and place back on the hob. Heat gently, then add the redcurrant jelly and warm until melted.
  7. Over a high heat, add a splash of Marsala or sherry and stir, making sure you have scraped up all the pan juices, then pour in the stock, add the rosemary and bubble over a high heat for about 5 minutes until it becomes syrupy. Strain through a sieve to serve. It will be a thin sauce but very well flavoured.
  8. Serve the lamb with new potatoes and seasonal asparagus spears.

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