Roast rack of lamb is impressive and surprisingly easy to make. This lamb roast recipe requires just five ingredients and 10 minutes of work.
Active Time:10 mins ;Total Time:1 hr 45 mins ; Yield:8 servings.
When lamb is at the center of the dinner table — especially something as eye-catching as this roast rack of lamb — it makes the meal feel special. This lamb roast recipe is one of our favorite ways to prepare a rack of lamb because it’s simple but has wonderfully complex flavors from the marinade. You just rub the lamb with plenty of garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and salt before roasting it on high heat, so the meat browns but remains medium-rare inside when it’s done cooking. Feel free to add another minute or two to the roasting time if you prefer your lamb to be cooked more.
Be sure to ask your butcher to french the racks, which means that all the excess meat, fat, and cartilage will be removed from the bones. You’ll have a cleaner presentation after roasting the meat, and the meat and fat that would have been left on the bones won’t burn while the meat roasts.
Since the seasoning here is so simple, this dish pairs well with a range of sides, from risotto to green salads to roasted vegetables. Mix and match your sides to your preferences — a main course recipe this easy gives you time to think about everything else.
Ingredients
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled
1/4 cup rosemary leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 racks of lamb, frenched (2 pounds each)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
step 1
Gather your ingredients.
step 2
In a mini food processor, combine garlic, rosemary, and olive oil and process until garlic is finely chopped.
step 3
Season lamb racks with salt and pepper and rub garlic-rosemary oil all over them. Set racks fat-side up on a large rimmed baking sheet and let stand for 1 hour.
step 4
Preheat oven to 450°F. Roast lamb in upper third of oven for 15 minutes. Turn racks and roast for 10 minutes longer for medium-rare meat.
step 5
Transfer racks to a carving board, stand them upright, and let rest for 10 minutes.
step 6
Carve racks in between rib bones and transfer to plates. Serve immediately.
