This roasted Rack of Lamb with Parmesan-Rosemary Crust would be the stunning presentation for the holiday table. Crumbly flavorful crust pairs with tender lamb chops. It’s simply amazing!
Lamb is a meat that not everyone is into. It has a distinctive strong flavor that some people may not be too fond of. But if you are like me who enjoy lamb, you will absolutely love this recipe!
Why does lamb taste so unique? It’s all because of its fat. There is a particular type of fatty acid in lamb that doesn’t exist in other meats. The flavor can be vary depends on what the lamb eat. Grass-fed lamb will have a stronger flavor than grain-fed lamb. To reduce the lamby flavor, try to trim off as much fat as possible. Personally, I have no problem with the flavor, but Bryan can’t take too much of it. So, I trimmed out some of the fat on top.
This rack of lamb recipe is all about the crust! The crust is a mixture of fresh bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, rosemary and garlic. Nommm… I can probably sprinkle that mixture in everything. For the bread crumbs, I just processed cubes of 1-day-old sourdough bread in the food processor until they turned little crumbs. Mix with the rest of the ingredients. Pat them tightly on the seared lamb rack. When it roasted, the mixture dried up and turned brown, which created a nice crumbly and flavorful crust. It’s beautiful to look at too!
The lamb was juicy and perfectly medium-rare. The meat was so tender which contrast with the crispy crust. This rack of lamb is no doubt my favorite lamb chop! I won’t make lamb any other way! Double the recipe and serve it for a small party!
Rack of Lamb with Parmesan-Rosemary Crust
Ingredients
- 1 rack of lamb (frenched, about 1¼ pound)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
- 4 ounces sourdough or French bread (best using 1 or 2 days old bread)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary (minced)
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
- In a heavy medium skillet over high heat, heat until very hot. Meanwhile, rub 1 tablespoon olive oil all over the lamb. Season with salt and pepper generously. Place the lamb in the skillet and sear all sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet (not the prepared one). Let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C).
- Tear the bread into cubes, including the crust. Put them in a food processor, process until they turn into fine crumbs. It’s ok that some are finer and some are bigger. Measure ½ cup of crumbs and put in a medium bowl. Add parmesan, rosemary and garlic. Mix well.
- Have the lamb rack sitting bone side down. Rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the top side. Pat the bread crumbs on the top in an even layer. Carefully transfer the lamb to the prepared baking sheet.
- Roast in the oven until 120˚F (for medium-rare) in the center of the meat, about 25 – 35 minutes. Check the crust occasionally. If it starts to get too brown, cover the crust with a piece of aluminum foil. Remove the lamb from oven. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and rest until the internal temperature reaches 125˚F, about 10 minutes. Carve the lamb rack into chops and serve immediately.
Notes
- The lamb rack that I bought had 7 chops. Bryan had 4 chops and I had 3. If you have a small appetite or have a few side dishes, 2 chops are enough for 1 person.
- Frenching a lamb rack means trimming off the meat, fat & membranes from one end of the rack for an elegant appearance. You can usually buy a lamb rack that have already been frenched. If you didn’t, you can trim it yourself, read this.
- To reduce lamby flavors, trim off as much fat as possible.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a blender to make bread crumbs too.
- For medium doness, the internal temperature should be 130˚F in the oven. After resting, it should be 135˚F.
- When craving, it's better to crave 2 chops together which will prevent too much crust falling off.
What a good looking supper!
Thank you so much Ben! It was a fun and delicious meal!