Servings 4 | Prep Time 30 min | Total Time 1 hour 25 min
A roast rack of lamb is a popular cut of lamb for roasting, as the rib bones add flavor making the meat tender and flavorful. The pairing of apricot and almond couscous brings this dish to the next level!
Ingredients
- 2 racks of young spring lamb
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 15 g Unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and pepper
COUSCOUS - Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small red onion, small dice
- 30g dried apricots, coarsely chopped
- 35g whole almonds toasted, coarsely chopped
- 170g couscous
- 350ml chicken stock, warm
- Pinch lemon zest
- 2 spring onions, green parts only
- 20g fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 bunch fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped, plus leaves for garnish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Topping for the Lamb
- 4 tbsp Roast Lamb Rub
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of lemon juice
Roast Lamb Rub
HOW TO
- Preheat the oven to 225C
- Ask your butcher to French trim the racks.
- Make slits all over the lamb with the point of a small knife.
- Cut the cloves of garlic into slivers. Insert a piece of garlic into each slit in the lamb. Season the racks with salt and pepper and smear all over with olive oil.
- Heat a cast pan skillet with the butter and fry the lamb on all sides. Roast in the preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes (depending on how large the lamb is) until the meat is pink, 60-65 degrees inner temperature.
- Rest in a warm place for 10 minutes to tenderize the lamb by allowing the juices to settle back into the meat.
Couscous:
- In a medium saucepan, add extra-virgin olive oil. Add the red onion, apricots, and almonds and saute gently over low heat until translucent and slightly fragrant.
- Add the couscous, then poor over the warm chicken broth. Stir with a fork to combine, add lemon zest, and cover. Let sit for 10 mins, then uncover and add the spring onions, mint, and coriander.
- Fluff again with a fork. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
- Tempering the spice blend: Warm olive oil in a pan and gently saute the Roast Lamb Rub spices.
- Place the cous cous family-style on a large platter and garnish with fresh coriander.
Carve the lamb into chops, place on top of the cous cous, and sprinkle over the warm oil with Roast Lamb rub over the lamb chops.
Serve with flatbread and Mango Amba Sauce.
What does it mean to temper spices?
Tempering spices is a traditional method to extract the full flavor from spices. It captures and maintains the essence and aroma of the spices in hot oil, infusing the final dish with a distinct flavor and fragrance.
