An elegant and flavour filled herb-crusted rack of lamb recipe. Loaded with garlic, rosemary, parsley and parmesan, this centrepiece is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Serve with parmesan-topped pearl barley and savoy cabbage.
Rack of Lamb Temperatures
We cooked our lamb to 56 °C for medium rare. Use the following guide to cook your lamb to your preference.
Rare: 52°C
Medium-rare: 56 °C
Medium: 60°C
Well done: 71°C
How to Measure Rack of Lamb Temperature
- Avoid bones — accidentally probing the bones can give an inaccurate reading.
- Insert the thermometer probe into the centre of the rack, between the bones, and search for the coolest point.
- You can also spot check the lamb throughout, just to ensure it’s cooked to your liking all over.
Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb Recipe
Ingredients
For the herb-crusted rack of lamb
- 1.1 kg rack of lamb
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 45 g grated parmesan
- 120 g breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the pearl barley
- 2 leeks, thickly sliced
- 4 carrots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 300 g savoy cabbage, shredded
- 1 L chicken stock
- 300 g pearl barley, soaked for 1 hour
- 500 ml white wine
- 50 g cumin seeds
- 50 g cumin seeds
- 45 g grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Directions
To make the herb-crusted rack of lamb
- Preheat your oven to 180 °C fan / gas 4. Season the lamb generously on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat a frying pan over a medium high heat. Add 4 tbsp of olive oil, along with the lamb and garlic. Sear all sides until browned.
- Remove the lamb and place into a baking tray.
- Remove the garlic and add to a food processor along with the breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan, rosemary, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Pulse until combined.
- Brush the top and sides of the lamb with the mustard. Then coat the top and sides of the lamb with the breadcrumb and herb mix and roast in the oven until your Thermapen reads 56 °C for medium rare. This should take around 20-25 minutes.
- Allow the lamb to rest before slicing.
To make the pearl barley
- Heat a large pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and cook the leeks for a few minutes, then add the garlic and the cumin seeds and cook for a few minutes more.
- Add the pearl barley, carrots, mustard and a splash of white wine, then pour over the chicken stock. Season with plenty of ground black pepper and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cabbage and cook for 5-10 minutes until the cabbage is tender.
- Top with the grated parmesan and serve with slices of the lamb.
