« Mustard and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb »

For me, it wouldn't be Easter without rack of lamb. And while it might seem like a difficult dish to prepare at home, don't be intimidated.  It is actually a very easy dish to make, especially if you use this recipe.

This year, I was graced with a four year old visiting chef (from New Jersey), so I was not able to take many pictures. (It will definitely be a few years before he lands a job at Per Se, but his current mixing skills are quite impressive.) But, no matter. As you will see, this recipe is very straight forward on it's own.

The crust for the lamb is a combination of plain bread crumbs, herbs and a small amount of olive oil to bind it all together.  The original recipe calls for flat leaf parsley, fresh mint and rosemary, but I have also added fresh thyme and finely chopped sage. Bottom line: use what you like and what is fresh.

The frenched racks are quickly brown on the stove top (2 minutes on each side) before the crust is applied.  This is the only tedious part of the recipe, but I would not skip it as it definitely helps to lock in the juices.  The crust is then "adhered" to the racks using a small amount of dijon mustard.

The racks are roasted in a 400F oven until they reach the desired temperature (approximatley 120 degrees for rare and 130 degress for medium rare).  In my hands, it usually takes about 25-30 minutes to reach 120 degrees, but ovens vary -- so I would definitely check the meat with an instant read thermometer after 20 minutes. Let the racks rest (out of the roasting pan) about 10 minutes before carving.

Here is the printable recipe. For an interesting variation on the theme, this recipe looks interesting.