Herb-crusted rack of lamb with summer mint sauce
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- no cooking required
- Serve
- Serves 3
This roast rack of lamb is coated with Tewkesbury mustard and a bright green herb crumb, then served with buttery peas, broad beans, baby gem, carrots and a fresh mint sauce. You’ll need a food processor for this recipe.
Ingredients
For the mint sauce
- 50ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar
- 25g/1oz caster sugar
- 40g/1½oz fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
For the herb crumb
- 20g/¾oz fresh chervil
- 20g/¾oz fresh flatleaf parsley
- 20g/¾oz fresh chives
- 10g/⅓oz fresh mint
- 4 slices white bread, torn into pieces
For the lamb
- 1 French-trimmed rack of lamb
- 20g/¾oz Tewkesbury mustard or Dijon mustard
For the vegetables
- 40g/1½oz butter
- 40g/1½oz peas, cooked
- 40g/1½oz broad beans, double-podded and cooked
- 80g/2¾oz baby gem lettuce, thinly shredded
- 80g/2¾oz baby carrots, cooked
- 20g/¾oz pea shoots
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the mint sauce, put the 60ml/4 tbsp water, white wine vinegar and caster sugar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Stir the chopped mint into the cold liquid and set aside until needed.
To make the herb crumb, put the chervil, parsley, chives and mint in a food processor and blend for about 20 seconds.
Add the bread and blend again until you have fine, bright green breadcrumbs.
For the lamb, preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Score the fat on the rack of lamb and season with salt and pepper.
Put the lamb, fat-side down, in a cold ovenproof frying pan. Cook gently until the fat has rendered and turned golden and crisp.
Turn the lamb and colour the remaining sides.
Brush the rendered fat with the Tewkesbury mustard, then press the herb crumb firmly onto the mustard to make an even 2–3cm/¾–1¼in crust.
Roast for 14–16 minutes for medium-rare lamb, or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a board and leave to rest for 8–10 minutes before carving into cutlets.
To make the vegetables, melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the peas, broad beans, baby gem and baby carrots and warm gently until heated through.
Season with salt and pepper, then fold through the pea shoots just before serving.
Spoon the warm vegetables into the centre of each plate. Top with the lamb cutlets and serve with the mint sauce alongside.
