Rack of lamb with sauce paloise
A lamb recipe inspired by Rick Stein! A traditional herb crust, creamy sauce and greens. You can't get more spring classic than that.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 anchovies, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- ½ tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- 75²µ/2¾´Ç³ú breadcrumbs
For the lamb
- 1 x 6-bone rack of lamb, fat scored
- 1 tbsp dark French mustard
For the paloise sauce
- 125ml/4fl oz white wine
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
- few fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed
- 4 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 free-range egg yolks
- 125g/4½oz unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the vegetables
- 2 baby fennel, trimmed and cut in half
- 3 baby leeks, trimmed and sliced into three
- 10 French beans, trimmed and left whole
- 40g/1½oz unsalted butter
- pinch salt
Method
To make the crust, blend all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor.
Put the herb mix between two sheets of greaseproof paper, and flatten using a rolling pin to the thickness of a 1 pound coin. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Cut to fit the shape of the top of the rack.
To make the lamb, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Heat an oven-proof frying pan over a medium heat and add the rack of lamb, fat side down to render the fat. Reduce to a low heat and cook for 5 minutes. Place the pan in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully brush the lamb with the mustard and press the herb crust firmly on top. Put the lamb in a roasting tin and roast in the pre-heated over for 10–15 minutes until pink. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce paloise, place the white wine, lemon, shallot, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf in a saucepan and cook until reduced by half.
Strain the mixture, then place back in the pan. Whisk in the egg yolks over low heat until thickened then slowly whisk in the melted butter. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the mint.
To make the vegetables, simmer the vegetables in the butter and boiling salted water in a saucepan until cooked and glazed. This will take 8–10 minutes. Keep warm.
Spoon the sauce between two plates and top with the rack of lamb, halved. Serve alongside the cooked vegetables.
