Lamb: Herb Recipe and Tips

- As a New Zealander by birth, my love for lamb runs deep. And this oven-roasted rack of lamb with a savory Dijon herb crust is one superstar holiday meal. Most racks of lamb keep the seasoning simple with something like garlic and rosemary. And trust me, that is one winning combination, which is why I have it on my grilled lamb chops recipe. But for holidays like Easter or Christmas, I like my rack of lamb with a little more oomph, and the savory mustardy depth of Dijon does not disappoint. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make and it presents beautifully. So let me show you how to make it.

To get started, you'll make the Dijon herb sauce that forms the crust on the lamb. It's a really simple mix that starts with two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh thyme, two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh rosemary, and two tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley. And you do wanna make sure all of these herbs are finely chopped and not too chunky. In a small mixing bowl, add a quarter cup of Dijon mustard, four minced garlic cloves, and the chopped rosemary, thyme, and parsley. And then to give the sauce a little pop of brightness, add the zest from one lemon.

Once that's all in the bowl, stir it together and then just set it aside. For the lamb, you'll need two racks of lamb. And like any meat, before you cook it, it's always best to let it come to room temperature. Use the paper towel to pat dry both racks and remove any excess moisture. Then season both sides of the racks with salt and pepper. Now what we're gonna do is sear the racks of lamb first in a skillet, then finish them in the oven. And if your pan is about the same size as mine, you'll most likely need to work in batches in the pan as both racks won't fit at the same time.

So add a couple tablespoons of oil to an oven-safe pan over medium high heat and sear the lamb fat-side down for two to three minutes until it's nice and golden. Then turn and sear the other side for an additional one to two minutes. (bright music) Once that's done, transfer the lamb to a roasting pan or baking sheet. And I'm using a quarter baking sheet here, which is a very useful small size in the kitchen. And I've linked my favorite down below for you. Then coat the tops of the rack evenly

with the Dijon herb mixture. And I just dollop it and then smear it around with a spoon. (bright music) Roast the lamb in a preheated 425 degree Fahrenheit oven for 18 to 22 minutes for the perfect medium rare, which is my favorite. And if you'd like a slightly more golden top, you can broil the lamb in the last one to two minutes of cooking. Now the tops may crack a little, and that's totally fine as the flavor still infuses into the meat. And once people take a bite, they're not gonna worry too much about any cracks. But as always, let this meat rest for a few minutes for the juiciest lamb chops.

Then use a sharp knife to cut in between each chop to serve them up. And as you can see, the meat is perfectly medium rare and oh, so tender. In terms of plating, you can slice up all of the chops individually and place them on a serving platter. And I have a photo to show that on my website. Or you could slice a few of them and then leave a whole rack or a half a rack still intact. And for a finishing touch, I love to add a few little sprigs of fresh herbs to the platter as well. All right, you do not have to ask me twice to dig in for a bite.

So good. The ones on the plate here too are a perfect medium rare. I think these ones are just a little bit more medium 'cause it took me longer to slice into them because I am a one woman filming show and slicing, and moving cameras for different camera angles takes a little bit of time. And so as they sat here, they just, you know, got a little bit more done. My mom loves this recipe and requests it all of the time. Though, she does request all of my other lamb recipes as well. In the summertime, she always wants the grilled lamb chops because it's so easy to toss on the grill.

I make my lamb meatballs probably the most year round. And then in fall and winter, I make my lamb stew, also known as Irish stew. I mean, in my house, we just did a lot of lamb recipes. But as I mentioned at the beginning, when it comes to holidays like Easter or Christmas, this one just presents so beautifully on a platter and they're like little lamb lollipops. They're just easy to pick up, take a couple bites, and you're done. I hope you guys enjoy today's video for this Dijon herb crusted rack of lamb. And whether you enjoy it for Easter, Christmas, another holiday, a celebration,

or just because your supermarket happens to have a rack of lamb on sale, I do hope that you enjoy it and just savor all of the flavor. All right, with that, I will see you guys in the next video. (bright music)