Lamb racks and asparagus with potatoes and watercress sauce

Spring lamb rack recipe

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Serves

4

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Here's a classically Kiwi meal that's elegant enough for any special occasion - but don't wait for one to try it. There are many fresh herbs that will lend themselves to these lamb racks. You can use just one, or a combination. Try flat-leaf parsley, thyme, dill, chervil, chives, coriander, and basil.

This recipe is from Kathy Paterson's cookbook, 'Meat & Three'.

Here's a classically Kiwi meal that's elegant enough for any special occasion - but don't wait for one to try it. There are many fresh herbs that will lend themselves to these lamb racks. You can use just one, or a combination. Try flat-leaf parsley, thyme, dill, chervil, chives, coriander, and basil.

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Kathy Paterson
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Ingredients

Watercress Sauce
  • 2 handfuls watercress

    picked leaves
  • handful flat-leaf parsley

    leaves
  • 1 spring onion

    trimmed and sliced
  • 125ml yoghurt

    natural
  • a squeeze lemon juice

  • sea salt

Spring Lamb
  • 2 Quality Mark lamb racksi

    trimmed, at room temperature
  • olive oil

    for rubbing
  • 2 tablespoons fresh herbs

    chopped
  • sea salt

  • black pepper

Potatoes and Asparagus
  • 600g Agria potatoes

    scrubbed and left whole if small; halved if larger
  • 16 thick asparagus spears

    trimmed
  • olive oil

    for rubbing
  • sea salt

  • black pepper

Method

Watercress Sauce
1

Place the watercress, parsley and spring onion in a food processor and process to roughly chop.

2

Add the yoghurt and process until smooth.

3

Season with lemon juice and salt.

4

Place in a bowl, cover and keep in the fridge until needed.

Spring Lamb
1

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat a roasting tin in the oven.

2

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

3

Rub the lamb racks with olive oil, then press the chopped herbs onto the meat.

4

Place the racks meat side down in the pan and brown.

5

Transfer the lamb racks to the hot roasting tin meat side up and roast for 15 minutes for pink lamb, or for 20 minutes if you prefer your meat less pink.

6

Remove the lamb from the oven and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

7

Cover loosely with foil and a clean tea towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Potatoes and Asparagus
1

Meanwhile, cook the potatoes and asparagus. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain.

2

Heat a chargrill or your barbecue grill until hot.

3

Rub the asparagus spears with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4

Place on the hot grill and grill for about 5 minutes, turning regularly, or until just tender and dark grill lines appear.

To Serve
1

Place the potatoes in a shallow bowl and spoon over the watercress sauce.

2

Slice the lamb racks into 2 pieces or into cutlets and serve with the potatoes and asparagus.