Pepé said, “Oh la la…
What a nice rack!”
Alright, alright… calm down everyone. He was talking about the herb crusted rack of lamb. Where was your mind? Pepé was all excited because he thought he was going to get to “French” the rack of lamb. “Frenching” is when you trim the fat off the bones and they are very clean and pretty. But, since I bought them from our Aldi Grocery store, they were already trimmed for us. I’m not sure Pepé would have been successful in trimming them anyway because I’ve never seen him do this before. He’s quite confident most of the time, but not always successful.
I did not grow up eating lamb. I don’t think I had my first bite of lamb until I was in my 30’s. I was quite a picky eater when I was a kid, but I have more than made up for that now. I recently watched Gordon Ramsey demonstrate how to make these on his show “Master Chef”. He talks fast and they don’t show you every detail. Nor do they do they give you the recipe for the herb breading. So, with much guessing and tasting, here is what I came up with and they were quite delicious. The breading is a very pretty bright green. Makes me think of springtime.
Heat oven to 425°. Blend all breading mix ingredients in a food processor and set aside.
Season lamb generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat oil in a skillet (I used an iron skillet) on medium high until it just barely starts to smoke. Sear the lamb for a few minutes on each side.
Halfway through the process add both halves of the garlic (cut side up) and the thyme to the skillet. Once seared on all sides, place the garlic and the thyme in the middle and place the lamb on top of them. Add butter and baste the lamb for a few minutes. Then place the entire skillet and contents in the oven for 4 minutes. Pull lamb out of the oven and brush with Dijon mustard. Dip the lamb in the breading mix to coat the meat on all sides (not the bones).
Shake off any excess. Place back in oven for an additional 4 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 130°-135°. Remove from oven and let lamb rest for about 10 minutes.
Slice each close to the bone, plate and serve.
Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
Ingredients
- 2 Racks Lamb 6-8 bones each (Frenched)
- 1 Large Head garlic (Sliced in half so you have a top and bottom)
- 1 Large Handful Fresh Thyme (Stems on)
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil Extra Virgin
- 3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- Salt and Pepper
Herb Breading Mix
- 3/4 Cup Tightly Packed Fresh Basil
- 1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese (Grated)
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F.
Blend all breading mix ingredients in a food processor and set aside.
Season lamb generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat oil in a skillet (I used an iron skillet) on medium high until it just barely starts to smoke. Sear the lamb for a few minutes on each side. Halfway through the process add both halves of the garlic (cut side up) and the thyme to the skillet. Once seared on all sides, place the garlic and the thyme in the middle and place the lamb on top of them. Add butter and baste the lamb for a few minutes. Then place the entire skillet and contents in the oven for 4 minutes. Pull lamb out of the oven and brush with Dijon mustard. Dip the lamb in the breading mix to coat the meat on all sides (not the bones). Shake off any excess. Place back in oven for an additional 4 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 130°F-135°F. Remove from oven and let lamb rest for about 10 minutes. Slice each close to the bone, plate and serve.
