Let the flavour of the lamb speak for itself with this paired back cooking technique, making this classic dish one to revisit time and time again.
Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients
1 x 800g rack of lamb
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Salsa Verde
1 cup green basil, leaves picked
1 cup parsley, leaves picked
1⁄2 cup mint leaves
1 garlic clove
1⁄2 Tbsp capers
1 tsp dijon mustard
1⁄2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1⁄4 tsp salt
Potatoes Au Gratin
1 1⁄2 cups cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 kg potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced to 3mm thick
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups grated cheese (use a cheese with good flavour such as gyurere or an aged cheddar) 2 tsp fresh thyme
Method:
- Pre-heat oven to 180 °C
- Foil the bones (optional), if you’d like to prevent the bones from browning in the oven, wrap
them in foil. This is purely for presentation purposes. - Seal the meat to lock in the flavour. Heat an ovenproof frypan over high heat on the stovetop.
Drizzle olive oil and add butter. Once the pan is very hot, sear lamb rack on all sides, including the ends, for around 3 minutes on each side. - Transfer pan to the oven. Roast in the oven until you reach your desired doneness. For an 800g
lamb rack, it should take approximately 15 minutes to reach a medium-rare internal
temperature of 57°C. Remember, the meat will continue to cook slightly while resting. (see table below for lamb cooked temperatures). - Remove from the oven and rest the meat in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Resting the meat
allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, making for juicier lamb.
For Salsa Verde
- Place all ingredients in a tall container and blitz into a fine puree (or to the texture you prefer) using a stick blender. You could also use a small food processor.
For Potatoes Au Gratin
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C
- For the cream mixture: Place butter, cream and garlic in a jug and mix until combined.
- Using a 1.5L baking dish, layer one third of the potatoes, slightly overlapping, then scatter over one third of the cheese, thyme and season well. Pour over one third of the cream mixture. Repeat 2 more layers, finishing with a scatter of cheese.
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until the potatoes in the middle are soft (use a knife to test). Stand 5 minutes before serving to allow potato au gratin to set.
To Serve:
Slice the rack into four equal size portions, serve alongside a generous wedge of potato au gratin and a drizzle of salsa verde.
