Colin's Rack of Lamb with a Pistachio and Herb Crust
Photography Josh Griggs.
Reading Colin’s interview we couldn’t go past lamb for inspiration – but rather than a nostalgic roast, we opted for a vibrant pistachio and herb-crusted lamb rack, reflecting the effervescence of the man himself.
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
2 x 8 bone racks of lamb (about 550 grams each)
sea salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Crust
1 packed cup parsley, chopped
100 grams pistachio nuts
½ cup panko crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
finely grated zest 1 lemon
1 large egg white
sea salt and ground pepper
To serve
thick plain yoghurt
Zesty Herb Sauce (recipe below)
Cumin and Honey Roasted Vegetables (recipe below)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
Season the lamb racks with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and when very hot, add the racks fat side down. Cook for a couple of minutes until deeply golden. Turn and cook for 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
Crust: Put all the ingredients except the egg white in a food processor, season generously and blitz until finely chopped. Add the egg white and blitz again. Tip into a bowl.
To cook: Spread the mustard over the top of the lamb racks. Press half the crumbs firmly onto each rack.
Place in a shallow roasting dish and place in the bottom third of the oven. This helps stop the crust from over browning. Cook for 25 minutes for medium-rare lamb. Rest loosely covered for 5 minutes before carving.
To serve: Spread a layer of yoghurt on plates then a spoonful of the Zesty Herb Sauce. Top with the lamb and Cumin and Honey Roasted Vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
Cumin and Honey Roasted Vegetables
INGREDIENTS
12 small carrots, scrubbed or peeled, tops trimmed
4 parsnips, peeled, quartered and tough core cut out
12 baby beetroot, tops trimmed (I used a mix of yellow and purple)
olive oil
sea salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon runny honey
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
Arrange all the vegetables separately over 2 large baking trays. Brush with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle the honey over the parsnips and carrots then sprinkle over the cumin seeds.
Roast for 25 minutes then start checking on each vegetable as they all have different cooking times. Remove from the tray as they’re cooked and set aside, covering to keep warm. Peel the beetroot while still warm.
Zesty Herb Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup each packed mint and parsley
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon runny honey
sea salt and ground pepper
METHOD
Blitz all the ingredients together until smooth. Season.
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126
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