Panko crumbs (wiki) make the difference in this dish.
Ingredients
1 rack of lamb per person, all fat removed
Hot English mustard (or mild for wussies)
Chopped herbs, eg rosemary, flat leaf parsley, chives or a mixture of these
1 ½C panko crumbs
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Lemon infused olive oil (or plain olive oil if this is unavailable)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (360° F) fanbake
Spread a thin layer of mustard on the meat side of each lamb rack.
Place the herbs, crumbs and lemon zest in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and enough olive oil to bind the crumbs together.
Pack the crumb mixture on the meat side of the lamb rack. Bake on a cooking paper lined baking tray for about ½ an hour, or until the lamb is medium rare.
Serves 2
Ingredients
Lamb:
Leg or shoulder of lamb
Lots of garlic (I use a whole head)
Lemon pepper seasoning
Roast Potatoes:
1 – 2 potatoes per person
Rice bran oil
Mint sauce:
2 handfuls mint
Brown vinegar
Sugar
Method
For the lamb:
Heat oven to 160°C / 320°F fan bake
Place lamb in a roasting pan and season with lemon pepper seasoning on the top side. Surround with unpeeled garlic cloves. Add water so pan is around three quarters full. Bake for about half an hour then turn the lamb and season the other side. Add more water until pan is again three quarters full. Bake again for about 1½ to 2½ hours, turning every half hour. Let the water evaporate a bit until there is enough left to make as much gravy as desired. The lamb is done when it is very tender but not falling apart. Remove from the pan to a serving dish, cover with foil and let rest for about 25 minutes.
To make the gravy, squash the garlic from the husks and discard the husks. Check the seasoning and thicken with enough cornflour mixed with water to give preferred consistency. (Some like it runny, some like it thick)
For the potatoes:
Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters for small potatoes and sixths for larger ones. Add to salted boiling water and cook until ¾ done. Pour into a colander, be a bit rough with them, the more you rough them up, the crisper they will turn out. Heat some rice bran oil in a large pan. Add the potatoes and cook slowly, turning occasionally until golden and crisp. For even more crispness, use a knife to partially halve the pieces of potato while cooking in the oil.
For the mint sauce:
Make early and let steep for as long as possible. Finely chop the mint and place in a small bowl. Add enough vinegar to just cover. Add 3 teaspoons sugar and stir until dissolved then taste. Keep adding sugar, stirring and tasting after each spoon until desired balance of sugar and vinegar is achieved.