Roast Rack of English Lamb

New Season Roast Rack of English Lamb with Crushed Peas

Serves 6

Ingredients:

French trimmed Rack of lamb
3 rib rack per person. Ask your butcher to prepare these.
1 red onion sliced.
Pint good quality lamb stock
Handful of fresh rosemary sprigs

1 1/2lb frozen peas, that have been allowed to thaw.
Handful of finely chopped fresh mint
2-3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Marinade
1 clove garlic
Handful of fresh mint
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
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Method:
Put the peeled chopped garlic and mint in a pestle and mortar and mix to a thick paste add the olive oil no salt at this stage as it draws out moisture.
Spread the marinade by hand all over the racks of lamb. Leave for at least 4 hours to marinate.

You can make the lamb jus in advance. Add a little oil to a saucepan and add the onion. After about five minutes add 2-3 sprigs of rosemary then continue to cook the onion until it begins to brown then add the lamb stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to the heat and leave to reduce. Remove the rosemary sprigs and discard. Continue reducing the lamb stock until reduced by about ¾. You are looking to achieve an intense flavour there should be about ¼ pint left. Pass through a fine sieve into a small pan. Discard the onions. You can if you wish reduce the jus a little more to get the depth of flavour you prefer. Just remember you want to have enough to spoon a couple or three table spoons over each rack of lamb.

Take the marinated lamb racks and season with salt and pepper. Do ensure that if you have kept the lamb in the fridge that it has been at room temperature for at least an hour before you start to cook it. Heat a large heavy bottomed pan. Add the lamb racks and brown well on all sides. Once browned turn all the racks rib side down / skin side up and place in preheated over at 180 degrees centidraed for no more than 10 minutes. This will give medium cooked meat. For rare to medium reduce the time by 3 minutes. If you want you rack of Lamb well done then please doesn’t read my recipe any further it is a waste of good lamb to cook it well done.

Meanwhile place the peas in a food processor with about 2tbs of the chopped mint. Now just pulse the thawed peas and mint until the peas are looking crushed but not pureed. The peas must retain some structure you are not looking to make a soup! The peas can be prepared well ahead of time and only need then to be cooked through.

Place the crushed peas in a saucepan and add a good glug of extra virgin olive oil (2-3 tbs). The peas will only need to be heated through just before you plate up. They do not take more than a few minutes to cook.

Remove the cooked lamb from the oven and leave to one side to rest for a couple of minutes whilst you prepare the crushed peas.

With a pastry cutter or some other such thing, an empty tin (washed) with top and bottom removed will suffice. Lightly butter or oil the inside of the tin. Place the tin on the warmed serving plate. Add a serving of the crushed peas to the round (tin) and spread to fit with a spoon. Remove the tin and you should have a vibrant green circle of crushed peas. !! Repeat this for the remaining plates. You can of course omit the round tin for the presentation and just place a portion of the peas on the plate.

Now place the rack of lamb on the crushed pea base. Over the lamb spoon a little jus. Top the lamb with a sprig of rosemary or fresh mint and serve.

I like to serve this with a large bowl of simple buttered Jersey Royal new potatoes

Wine note:
A good Rioja or Loire red would work very well with this beautiful spring time dish. Enjoy!