Rack of Lamb Recipe with Mint Yogurt Sauce
This Rack of Lamb recipe is a beautiful holiday dish fit for a feast. Try it for Easter, Christmas, or any special occasion.
Servings: 8 ribs
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Food Processor
Ingredients
For the Lamb
- 2 lbs. rack of lamb Frenched (bone exposed) with fat cap removed (1 rack)
- 2 tbsp olive oil grapeseed or avocado also works
- 4 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves packed
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley flat leaf
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted (¼ stick)
- 1½ tbsp kosher salt
- 8 oz. Panko breadcrumbs (do not substitute regular breadcrumbs!)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For the Mint Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced (2 teaspoons)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
**Remove the lamb from the fridge 1½ hours before cooking to ensure it is at room temperature before placing it in the oven. If the meat isn’t at room temperature before cooking, it won’t cook evenly.**
For the Rack of Lamb
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the rack of lamb on the prepared baking sheet and brush all sides of the lamb with oil and Dijon mustard. Lightly season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside until the basil crust/seasoning is ready.2 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 lbs. rack of lamb
- In the bowl of a food processor, fitted with the steel blade, pulse the basil, parsley, thyme, garlic, butter, salt, bread crumbs and Parmesan until the ingredients are evenly processed, about 6-8 times. Season to taste, and add more salt, pepper and/or Parmesan cheese, if needed.½ cup fresh basil leaves, ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1½ tbsp kosher salt, 8 oz. Panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- With the lamb on the sheet pan, press the basil/parsley/thyme mixture onto both sides of the lamb meat.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F for 15-30 minutes before placing the lamb in the oven and set the oven rack to the middle position.
- Wrap the bones in aluminum foil and place the lamb with the bones curving up.
- Roast the lamb for 20 minutes for rare or 25 minutes for medium-rare (125°F-130°F). For complete transparency, we prefer lamb cooked to medium to medium-well (135-145°F).
- Remove the lamb from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes and cut into individual ribs.
For the Mint Yogurt Sauce
- While the lamb is roasting, whisk all of the yogurt sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl until smooth. Refrigerate, in an airtight container, until ready to use.1 cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
- Serve with the finished rack of lamb.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Basil-Crusted Rack of Lamb.
- Lamb Internal Temperature Guide
- For rare lamb: 125-130°F
- For medium-rare lamb: 130-140°F
- For medium lamb: 140-150°F
- For medium-well lamb: 150-160°F
- For well-done lamb: 160-165°F
Nutrition
Serving: 1rib | Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 2056mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 174mg | Iron: 3mg