Mint Pesto Crusted Racks of Lamb Recipe

Racks of lamb make an elegant main dish for Valentine's day or Easter. Here the basic recipe is lifted in terms of using a mint lemon and cashew nut crust (this is the fusion element in the dish).

Relatively easy to make, this dish looks really elegant and is sure to wow when plated out and served.

For this dish to look its best, the lamb racks need to be French-trimmed. This means that all the meat at the end of the ribs needs to be removed. If you have a good butcher, they will do this for you.

This is a springtime dish that goes best with new potatoes and spring vegetables (particularly asparagus).

Mint Pesto Crusted Racks of Lamb Recipe

Ingredients:

For the Lamb:

2 French-trimmed racks of lamb
1 tbsp avocado oil (or grapeseed oil)
15g (1/2 oz) butter

For the Herb Crust:

25g (1 oz) fresh mint leaves
2 garlic cloves
finely-grated zest of 1 lemon
50g (2 oz) raw, unsalted cashew nuts
50g (2 oz) breadcrumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard

For the Sauce:

2 tsp redcurrant (or raspberry or blackcurrant) jam
generous splash of Marsala wine (or dry sherry)
300ml (1 1/4 cups) lamb stock
1 fresh sprig of rosemary

Method:

Trim most of the fat from the lamb (but leave a little intact). Season the meat liberally with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Place a large frying pan over hig heat and add the oil and butter. When the butter begins to foam add the lamb, skin side down, and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until nicely browned all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Combine the mint, garlic, lemon zest, cashew nuts, breadcrumbs and olive oil for the crust in a food processor. Pulse until you have a fine, vibrant green mixture (but do not purée). Season with sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Brush the two lamb racks with the mustard then firmly press the herb mixture to stick all over the meat (leave the bare rib ends uncovered).

Transfer the lamb to a large roasting tin and sit with the rib side down and the skin side (and crust) uppermost. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 200ºC (400ºF) and roast for between 25 to 35 minutes, or until cooked medium-pink. Remove from the oven, set on a chopping board then cover with foil and allow to rest for five minutes.

Whilst the meat is resting prepare the sauce. Drain any excess fat from the frying pan and place back on the heat. Bring to gently heat then add the jam and warm until just melted. Increase the heat to high, add a splash of the wine (or sherry) and stir into the jam and the pan juices. Pour in the stock, add the rosemary spring, bing to a boil and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture becomes syrupy. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a warmed sauce boat.

Separate the lamb ribs into cutlets and serve with the sauce. Accompany with baby new potatoes and lightly-steamed asparagus spears.

lamb, fusion, easter, mint, valentine, roasting

Meat

Fusion

Mint Pesto Crusted Racks of Lamb https://fabulousfusionfood.blogspot.com/2019/04/mint-pesto-crusted-racks-of-lamb-recipe.html Mint Pesto Crusted Racks of Lamb. This is a modern Fusion recipe for an elegant Easter or Valentine day's dish of a rack of lamb coated in a mint pesto that's roasted and separated into cutlets before serving. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxDURMTunJb-sibTTNWONkr-2te-KNCDpq9ZFj65JmpCDE-u5pm83tM4O1yROQ_fESS32sSQq0DTd06mZvuCdOZR8Kp5hB_JrRC33MmAVZ2-aMMRCFVXPMXrQru-ERR98f76X9iizZb8/s1600/mint-pesto-crusted-racks-lamb.png 2019-04-06

Yield: 4 Author: Dyfed Lloyd Evans