Roast Rack of Lamb

Roast rack of lamb with rosemary and garlic. Very aromatic, and simple to make! Doesn't take too much time to prepare and cook too.



ROAST RACK OF LAMB
Serves 4

1 rack of lamb, Frenched (this means the butcher has exposed the ribs)
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
zest and juice of one lemon
salt and pepper, put on the meat right before roasting

Procedure:

1. Prepare the marinade by mixing together the chopped rosemary, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and  juice in a bowl. Mix well.

2.  Lay the lamb on a piece of plastic wrap and generously rub the marinade on the top (fat side) and underside of the lamb. Wrap tightly and put it in a plastic bag secured with a rubber band.  Put it in the refrigerator overnight, or at minimum 2 hours. You might want to put the bag in another plastic bag in a pan or bowl, just in case the bag ruptures, to avoid making a mess in the ref.

3. Make sure your lamb is at room temperature when you cook it, so get it out of the ref about an hour before.  Remove from the plastic and lay it on a baking pan lined with foil.  Make sure you get the marinade on the meat; don't lose those bits of flavour.

Wrap foil around the bones to ensure that they do not burn while cooking.  (I asked the trusted assistant, teenage son, to do this.)

That's my son, wrapping the lamb ribs with strips of foil.

Lamb ribs, all wrapped up and ready to be roasted!

4.  When you're ready to put it into the oven, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the pan in a preheated oven at 400F. Roast for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350F and cook some more until the meat reaches the desired temperature for doneness. Test the meat by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. Temperature should be at least 120F for medium rare, and 140F for medium well.

5.  Rest the meat, covered under a tent of foil. Carve by cutting in between the bones. Top with the rosemary and garlic that may have fallen on the pan.

Another way to roast the meat is to put it on a roasting pan with parboiled vegetables underneath. These will catch the juices of the meat as it cooks. Once done, take out the vegetables and you will find that there are flavourful bits stuck on the pan. Deglaze the pan with a cup of white wine to get those bits of flavour to make a gravy. Heat this liquid, season with salt and pepper as needed. Thicken with cornstarch which has been dissolved in some water or broth at room temperature, by adding this to the mix and whisking briskly, and voila! You have gravy!

This shows a rack of lamb and a lamb roast on top of parboiled vegetables.