Parsley, Orange and Pecan Crusted Rack of Lamb
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 rack of lamb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚. Rub lamb on all sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Position lamb in a roasting pan, meaty side up, and place in oven for 10 minutes.
- While lamb is cooking, combine parsley, garlic, orange zest and pecans in a bowl.
- Remove lamb from oven. Spread all sides with Dijon mustard (but keep it off the bones), and then coat with herb and nut mix, gently pressing it into the mustard.
- Return to oven, and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes or to desired doneness.
Notes
Bonus recipe tips from Chef Adam Moore:
- You can leave the fat on the rack; there’s usually still a lot of good meat in it.
- Any fine-grain or spicy mustard will work, but heavily seeded mustards don’t hold the crust on as well. Mayonnaise or yogurt are also good stand-ins for Dijon.
- The texture of the chopped pecans should resemble coarse sand. Or if you don’t want to use nuts, you can swap in finely chopped pepitas or grated Parmesan.
- For more citrus flavor, squeeze the juice from the zested orange over the top of the meat when it comes out of the oven, before you add the crust.
- For a nice presentation, wrap the protruding bones with foil to keep them from discoloring.
- Roasted sweet potatoes make for a delicious side. For a beverage pairing, try a light red wine or a zesty white.