Sunday, April 8, 2012

Spring roast lamb with lemon and rosemary

Saturday was warm and sunny, warm enough to eat lunch on the deck, finally spring is here.  This made me crave rack of lamb for some reason.  Probably because the day before I had seen some really good looking Canadian lamb at the local grocery store.  Any way I went back and picked up a very meaty 6 bone rack of lamb for dinner.  I had been browsing around on the Donna Hay magazine that I had on my Ipad and saw this rack roasted on top of potatoes, I thought that sounded like a really good idea, and so I decided to give it a try.


Serves 2

4 small potatoes thinly sliced
Sprig of rosemary
1/2 lemon thinly sliced
Rack of lamb
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Line a roasting tin or high sided cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the potatoes on the  bottom making a bed big enough to place the lamb on. Place on top a couple of slices of lemon and sprinkle on some rosemary leaves.


Sprinkle on some salt and pepper then place the lamb (which you have already dusted with salt and pepper) on top with the bone side down.




Top with the remaining rosemary and sliced lemon drizzle over the olive oil.  Put in a 400 oven for 25 to 35 minutes.  The time required will depend on the meatiness of the lamb and how well done you like it cooked.  I cooked mine for 35 minutes and it was still very pink in the middle, medium rare.


The lamb will be browned and the potatoes will have absorbed some of the lamb juices and the ones around the edge will be crispy. After letting it rest for 5 minutes slice between the bones and serve on top of the potatoes.  My husband really likes well done, so I placed 3 of the chops in a nonstick frying pan for a couple of minutes to get rid of the very pinkness in the middle.


I placed a fresh lemon slice on top and now I wish I had topped with a fresh rosemary sprig as well.

I served this with a Greek style salad of tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and a little spring greens tossed with fresh mint chopped up and lemon juice and olive oil.  This was a good counterpoint to the richness of the lamb, and it really was a spectacular meal. My husband who usually just eats with no real comment, said more than once, this is a really good meal!  This might have had something to do with the lamb, which really was very meaty and moist.


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