Racks of Lamb with Parsley Shallot Crumble

3:10 pm on 20 December 2024

Serves 4-5

This is scrumptious beyond belief and deserving of a celebratory meal. The buttery crust flakes off as you slice the lamb – make sure you spoon it on top of the sliced lamb before serving.

Racks of Lamb with Parsley Shallot Crumble

Photo: Julie Biuso

Ingredients

  • 2 x 450g lamb racks
  • 75g unsalted butter
  • ½ cup finely chopped shallots
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 1 cup fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
  • ½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
  • ½ cup finely chopped parsley
  • Olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Preheat oven to 210°C.

Put butter and shallot in a small saucepan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook very gently for several minutes until the shallot is tender but not coloured. Add garlic and let it cook through for 1 minute. Cool.

2. Remove excess fat from lamb racks but keep a covering of it over the meaty part of the rack. Then, remove as much of the silverskin (a tough sheath or membrane that runs along the meaty part) as you can by sliding a small, sharp knife underneath it.

3 Add breadcrumbs, salt and chopped parsley. Brush the meaty side of the lamb racks with olive oil and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lay the racks meaty side up in a shallow roasting tin (if the sides of the tin are too high, it will prevent the crust from browning nicely. Press herb crumbs on the top.

4. Roast lamb racks for 20 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden brown, but the meat is still pink and juicy. Rest the racks on a board for 7 minutes before slicing them into cutlets. Let the cutlets rest on the board for 2-3 minutes, moving any crusty crumbs away from seeping juices. Mop the juices with paper towels, then transfer the cutlets to a heated serving platter. Scatter with crunchy crumbs and serve.