Rosemary Roast Rack of Lamb with Potatoes, a Simple French Classic

This oven roasted rack of lamb recipe  makes for a luxurious and delicious dish that is always impressive to serve and yet surprisingly easy to cook! The fragrance of rosemary, thyme and garlic cooked with the lamb is absolutely irresistible. Your guests will know they are in for a treat the moment they catch the scents wafting from the kitchen. You will love this easy recipe.

Roast rack of lamb is easy enough to cook any night of the week but fancy enough for a special event.

Rack of lamb can be intimidating - especially when it is for a special occasion, such as Easter.  Have no fear - I will walk you through, step by step, how we roast a rack of lamb in Le Chef's household. 

When you buy a quality rack of lamb, Frenched cut such as by D'Artagnan, there is very little work you have to do. The meat is already trimmed, you simply need to season your lamb rack and then pop it in the oven!

Meat counters will also do this for you so make sure you are asking for the butcher to trim the excess fat and give you a "Frenched" rack of lamb.

Equipment needed

A large baking dish (I use this Le Creuset stoneware dish or a stainless steel roasting pan)

A sharp knife (a paring knife like this one is perfect) for trimming the ends of the bones and scoring the meat)

Aluminum foil for covering the tips of the lamb chops

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Simple Ingredients:

• 2 Frenched racks of Lamb (about 1.8lbs each)
• 12 Yukon Gold potatoes
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled but with the ends chopped off
• 4 sprigs of fresh Rosemary
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 tbsps Herbes de Provence (or Italian seasoning if you can't find Herbes de Provence)
• 2 teaspoons French Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon Espelette pepper (or another pepper such as cayenne works as well)
• 3 tbsps of extra-virgin olive oil

*if you don't have fresh herbs, dried herbs work too*

Rack of Lamb is one of the most luxurious cuts of meat. You will love this delicious lamb recipe, the flavor of the lamb is mild and tender. One of my favorite special meals. Cooking lamb is much easier than you may think, especially when you follow this recipe!

Rosemary Roast Rack of Lamb and Potatoes Instructions

1. Set your lamb racks on the counter about an hour before cooking to bring to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
3. First, let's start with the potatoes. Quarter the potatoes, leaving the skin on. Place in a sauce pan with enough cold water to cover (always cook your potatoes starting from cold water for a perfect potato!). Bring to a boil and let cook for 10 minutes on medium boil.
4. As the potatoes are boiling, prepare the 2 racks of lamb. We buy ours from D'Artagan that are exceptional quality and expertly pre-trimmed. Always ask the butcher to trim the racks so that the majority of fat is taken off the outside.
5. Using a sharp paring knife, score the fat on the flat outside of the rack of lamb (called the fat cap) in a criss cross formation. This allows for better cooking. 
6. Trim any excess meat that is on the rib bones.
7. Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a roasting pan. Lay the racks down in the pan, fat side up.
8. Sprinkle the salt as well as the Espelette pepper and Herbes de Provence evenly over the meat for an herb rub. I do not suggest adding fresh cracked black pepper as it will burn under the high temperature of the broiler. You can add some after cooking if you wish.Potatoes coated with olive oil and Herbes de Provence
9. Drain the potatoes once the 10 minutes have passed and you can pierce them with a fork (they will still be slightly undercooked).
10. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet and generously coat with olive oil and Herbes de Provence.
11. Toss in the cloves of garlic amongst the potatoes and put the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway.
12. Generously sprinkle the olive oil over the lamb.
13. Tear off little squares of aluminum foil and wrap around the tip of each bone - this will avoid the tips from getting charred.

The simplest, no-fail way to cook a rack of lamb

Place your lamb racks and potatoes on the middle rack of your oven that is fully heated to 350 degrees f. Depending on how you like your meat - set your oven timer for the following cooking times:

12 minutes: medium rare (pink with a rosy center)

17 minutes: medium (pink all the way through)

22 minutes: medium well (gray with just a little pink in the center - not recommended - lamb is at its best when still pink)

Once the time is up, switch your oven to broil. Broil on high for 15 minutes. Keep an eye on the oven and turn your dish around if one side looks like it is starting to char. Broiling the racks of lamb will create for a delicious crust on the outside and a very juicy, flavorful meat on the inside.

Remove from the oven and let the lamb rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

If you are using a meat thermometer the internal temperature should read 145 F for medium rare.

Serving the Rack of Lamb

Remove the racks of lamb from the baking dish and set on a secure cutting board.

Using a large kitchen knife, slice between the bones for an even chop.

A whole rack serves 2-3 people (2-3 chops per person).

Set the Lamb chops on a serving platter sprinkled with a little fleur de sel or kosher salt along with a generous serving of the potatoes and some beautiful haricots verts. I always have a small bowl of dijon mustard on the table for those that would like as well.

**If, by chance, you slice into the chop and it is too pink for your liking, continue cutting the chops and then put them back, flat, into your baking dish (remove the potatoes first) and put them back under the broiler for a few minutes until they have reached your desired level of doneness. Keep a very close eye - it shouldn't take more than a few minutes**

Make sure to take a spoon and drizzle the juices from the bottom of your baking dish over each plate, they are so flavorful and perfect for dredging with a crusty piece of French baguette.

You can sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top when you are ready to serve.

Voilà! A restaurant worthy Roasted Rack of Lamb in your own home. Bon Appétit!

Rack of Lamb can keep 2-3 days in the fridge in an airtight container and is delicious the next day. 

Dishes I recommend serving with Roast Rack of Lamb for a fancy Easter Lunch:

Asparagus with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette or Sautéed Haricots Verts as a side dish. Of course, you can't go wrong with Smashed Mini Potatoes or Le Chef's Mashed Potatoes either...

I wrote an entire blog post on French Side Dishes here for inspiration.

Creme Brulée or Mousse au chocolat for dessert. Both can be made a day in advance which saves you time on a busy morning!

faqs

Have you tried making rack of lamb at home? I would love to hear from you!

Au plaisir,

Le Chef's Wife

all ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE

Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.

Look inside our Kitchen with this recent Washington Post Article. We were recently featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:

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