Spring Lamb with Herb Crust
Lamb is traditionally served at this time of year, it feels both special and celebratory. In this recipe a herb crust adds wonderful flavour with minimal effort.
This long weekend we are in Kent for a few days. The seasons are apparent and at this time of year the bare trees have begun to shimmer with shoots and the ground looks green and hopeful. Cherry trees are in full bloom and Spring bulbs are on full display. On our drive here from London to Kent there is a moment where we turn off the motorway and toward home. We look out for the sign of a local zoo (which has symbols of exotic animals on it), on seeing the sign the first to shout out “elephant” wins the game. It is the moment we take our exit but also a moment of arrival as we switch to rural roads. The car starts winding us towards my parent’s house: rolling fields, high hedgerows and neat fruit farms shaping the landscape. Weather permitting we open a window and let the air rush in; a welcome reprieve from a long journey in a car packed with bags, kids and our much loved elderly dog. The weekend has begun and we can begin to decompress from busy city life.
On the drive we pass the pub, a small farm with chickens complete with a sign welcoming visitors to buy eggs, our local stables with their horses wrapped up in blankets in their respective fields. If we approach the house from the other road we pass more local pubs, the cricket pitch, the small farm shop and drive up a long hill where an oast house is visible across the fields. At the top of the hill is the church, standing on Saxon remains and in the gardens my late mother’s grave. She died on the Easter bank holiday four years ago and her grave is just visible through the hedge as we drive to the gate. Reminding me that she is just nearby, even if sadly not with us in person.
Where we are in Kent we are surrounded by fields and copses. There are also plenty of sheep, well cared for by local farmers and shepherds. They have access to beautiful big green pastures and as a result local lamb is high quality and full of flavour. Lamb is traditionally served in the Spring, with connections to both the Old and New Testament. I certainly plan to cook and serve lamb over the Easter weekend, as my mother did also. This week’s recipe is simple and delicious but most importantly it works if you are cooking for a large number of people. Lamb is excellent when seasoned with garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano, lemon, fennel, mustard and mint. I have included as many of these flavours as possible in the crust for my Spring Lamb with Herb Crust. I hope this will provide inspiration for your table this bank holiday and also shares a little of my thoughts and feelings this weekend as I return home.
Recipe of the Week
Spring Lamb with Herb Crust
For this recipe you will need a rack of lamb: ask for a French trim where the meat between the ribs has been removed. I cut the lamb rack into 2 rib portions before cooking as I think you get better colour on the meat before you add the crust and each portion cooks more evenly. This is an expensive butcher’s cut so you want to serve the meat at medium and not over cook it.
Serves 6
x2 organic French trim lamb racks, with 6 ribs per rack (approx 1kg total weight)
1/2 cup (55g) white breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, picked
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil and a little more for cooking
Preheat the oven to 180C (fan oven).
Remove the lamb from the fridge an hour before cooking, to bring the meat up to room temperature. Cut the lamb racks into 2 rib portions, you should have x6 portions. Set aside.
To prepare the crust in a blender add: breadcrumbs, rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, pinch of sea salt and the olive oil. Blitz to combine and then pour into a large bowl.
Heat a pan over a high-medium heat, rub the lamb with a little olive oil, add to the hot pan to sear on all sides. This should take 4-5 minutes, you want to render the fat from the top of the lamb so start fat side down. Once the lamb is browned on all sides, remove from the pan. Repeat until all the lamb pieces have been seared.
Next brush the top of each piece of lamb with the mustard, this will create a coating so that you can dredge the lamb in the herb crust. Press the crust down with clean hands. Place the prepared lamb on a lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the lamb is browned, brushed with mustard and coated with the herb crust.
Finally drizzle with a little more olive oil and place in a hot oven to roast for 15-20 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the size of your lamb portions). Test with a meat thermometer, for medium 60-65 degrees celsius/ for medium well 65-70 degrees celsius. Once your lamb is cooked remove from the oven, cover with foil and set aside to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Serve the lamb with seasonal potatoes, vegetables and mint jelly.
Such a lovely read Miriam ❤️
I agree, lamb at Easter is a must!
Such a great idea :-)