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All About Lamb
Recipe
1 hr 40 min

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Sweet Mint-Almond Relish

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Roasted Rack of Lamb with Sweet Mint-Almond Relish
Author: Lan Lam

Recipe By Lan Lam

Published on September 5, 2024

If you have the know-how, rack of lamb can be one of the simplest—and most elegant—holiday dishes you’ll ever make.

Time

1 hr 40 min

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Why This Recipe Works

We slowly roast our rack of lamb to ensure that its interior is uniformly rosy and juicy and then leave it in the oven until it reaches serving temperature. This is because it browns so quickly when we give it a final sear in a hot skillet that its temperature doesn’t rise. This speedy finish is possible because the fat cap warms up in the oven so it can easily reach the temperatures necessary for browning reactions to occur. We season the rack with a spiced salt that complements the lamb’s flavor, and a simple relish dresses up the roast.

Ingredients

Lamb

2 (1 ¾- to 2-pound) racks of lamb, fat trimmed to ⅛ to ¼ inch and rib bones frenched
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground anise
1 teaspoon

Relish

½ cup minced fresh mint
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted and chopped fine
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red currant jelly
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and pepper

Instructions

Cook along with these step-by-step instructions

step 1 imagestep 2 imagestep 3 imagestep 4 image

    Lamb

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Using sharp knife, cut slits in fat cap, spaced ½-inch apart, in crosshatch pattern (cut down to, but not into, meat). Combine 2 tablespoons salt and anise in bowl. Rub ¾ teaspoon salt mixture over entire surface of each rack and into slits. Reserve remaining salt mixture. Place racks, bone side down, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Roast until meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare or 130 degrees for medium, 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes.
    Recipe Tip
    We prefer the milder taste and bigger size of domestic lamb, but you may substitute imported lamb from New Zealand and Australia. Since imported racks are generally smaller, season each rack with 1/2 teaspoon of salt mixture and reduce the cooking time to 50 to 70 minutes.

    2. Relish

  2. While lamb roasts, combine mint, almonds, olive oil, jelly, vinegar, and mustard in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.
  3. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Place 1 rack, bone side up, in skillet and cook until well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to carving board. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from skillet and repeat browning with second rack. Tent racks with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Cut between ribs to separate chops and sprinkle cut side of chops with ½ teaspoon salt mixture. Serve, passing relish and remaining salt mixture separately.

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Roasted Rack of Lamb with Sweet Mint-Almond Relish

Recipe By Lan Lam

Published on September 5, 2024

Time

1 hr 40 min

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Sweet Mint-Almond Relish

Ingredients

Lamb

2 (1 ¾- to 2-pound) racks of lamb, fat trimmed to ⅛ to ¼ inch and rib bones frenchedKosher salt1 teaspoon ground anise1 teaspoon

Relish

½ cup minced fresh mint¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted and chopped fine¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil2 tablespoons red currant jelly4 teaspoons red wine vinegar2 teaspoons Dijon mustardKosher salt and pepper

Instructions

    Lamb

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Using sharp knife, cut slits in fat cap, spaced ½-inch apart, in crosshatch pattern (cut down to, but not into, meat). Combine 2 tablespoons salt and anise in bowl. Rub ¾ teaspoon salt mixture over entire surface of each rack and into slits. Reserve remaining salt mixture. Place racks, bone side down, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Roast until meat registers 125 degrees for medium-rare or 130 degrees for medium, 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes.
    Recipe Tip
    We prefer the milder taste and bigger size of domestic lamb, but you may substitute imported lamb from New Zealand and Australia. Since imported racks are generally smaller, season each rack with 1/2 teaspoon of salt mixture and reduce the cooking time to 50 to 70 minutes.

    2. Relish

  2. While lamb roasts, combine mint, almonds, olive oil, jelly, vinegar, and mustard in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.
  3. Heat vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Place 1 rack, bone side up, in skillet and cook until well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to carving board. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon fat from skillet and repeat browning with second rack. Tent racks with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Cut between ribs to separate chops and sprinkle cut side of chops with ½ teaspoon salt mixture. Serve, passing relish and remaining salt mixture separately.
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