This is my take on best end of lamb with a herb crust (originally Carré d’Agneau Provençale in Raymond Blanc’s Cooking for Friends . The original uses white breadcrumbs and a lesser quantity of dried herbs but I like this stronger flavour. This is one of the few times that I think rare(ish) lamb is right.
Planning
| serves: | 4 |
| preparation time: | 15 mins |
| cooking time: | 30 mins |
Ingredients
- 100g fresh brown breadcrumbs
- 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
- ½ tbs chopped fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tbs chopped fresh rosemary
- salt & pepper
- 2 best ends of lamb, French trimmed
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs Dijon mustard
Method
Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/gas 8.
Now make the breadcrumb coating by mixing all the herbs with the breadcrumbs and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
Most people’s idea of French trimming isn’t quite severe enough for this recipe so check that all the fat is removed from the lamb and that only the eye of meat remains attached to the bones.
Heat the olive oil in a roasting pan on top of the stove and seal the lamb on all sides. Remove the lamb and put a rack (or some other suitable support) into the roasting pan and put the lamb back on top. Roast in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Remove the lamb from the oven and season with salt and pepper. Smear mustard all over the meat (not the bones – it will burn) then use this to stick the breadcrumb mixture all over the lamb. Roast again for another 12 – 15 mins (the lamb should remain pink in the middle). Allow the lamb to rest, loosely covered with foil, for a few minutes before serving cut into single-bone slices.
I like to serve this with Ratatouille and boiled new potatoes.
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