Rack of lamb with salsa verde

If there is one image that gets my mouth watering it is a perfectly cooked lamb cutlet. The pink mouth filling meat edged with crusty, crispy fat. Oh yum. Husband and I watched Mary Berry make this Rack of lamb with salsa verde on TV last night and I think there is very little doubt that this will feature on our Easter weekend menu at some point. It serves 6 – 8 people, but I’ll be adapting it to serve two. The salsa verde lasts for three days in the fridge, so I won’t be wasting anything.

Rack of lamb with salsa verde

Ingredients serves 6 – 8
2 x French trimmed lamb racks (6-8 chops in each), chine bone removed
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest and juice
2 tsp runny honey
2 tbsp oil
For the salsa verde:
1 garlic clove, crushed
small bunch flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
small bunch basil leaves, finely chopped
8 anchovies, finely chopped
75g/2¾oz dill pickle cucumbers, finely chopped (you can also use gherkins)
1 tsp runny honey
150ml/5fl oz olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to prepare

Trim any excess skin from the lamb and score the fat using a sharp knife. Put the garlic, lemon zest (reserve the juice for the salsa verde), honey and oil in a large bowl and mix. Add the lamb and rub in the marinade. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes(or for up to a day ahead).

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7

Place a large frying pan over a medium heat, put the lamb fat-side down into the pan and fry for about 5 minutes or until the fat is dark golden-brown. Transfer to a roasting tin, browned side up and bones facing the centre.

Roast for 18–20 minutes, cover with aluminium foil and rest for 15 minutes.

For the salsa verde, mix all the ingredients and the reserved lemon juice together in a bowl and season with little salt and pepper. Gently warm the salsa before serving.

Carve the lamb to divide it into chops. Serve two chops per person with the salsa verde alongside.