French Trimmed Rack of Lamb with a Parmesan and Sesame Crust
Rack of Lamb is for me the very best, the equivalent of rib of beef but small, sweet and delectable so actually it is perhaps best kept simple, but on this occasion I wanted to do just some little thing to smarten it up slightly and show I had made an effort (even if it was rather a small one)
I think using the chilli jam as "glue" for the parmesan crust gives a more interesting and sympathetic flavour than the more usual Dijon mustard and it is not overpowering.
Ingredients
1 french trimmed rack of lamb (enough for 2)
2 tsps. chilli jam (from a jar)
1 tbsp. panko crumbs
1 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
Oven 180 c
Method
Use your fingers to pull any remaining fat layers from the meat. I like to be fairly ruthless about this despite the searing in step 2 because the meaty flesh will cook quickly and under cooked lamb fat is unpleasant. Make a small cut between each rib bone to make carving later even easier
Heat a frying pan and sear the meat on all sides until lightly browned
Spread the chilli jam over the meat In a small bowl mix together the panko crumbs, sesame seeds and grated parmesan and then press it firmly onto the chilli jammed meat.
Transfer the rack to a roasting pan - if you are cooking several racks you can interlink the bones and make the racks stand up - indeed you can serve them this way, referred to as Guard of Honour Roast 20-25 minutes for pink meat, 30 minutes for medium. Allow to rest for 10 minutes or so before serving.
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