Rack of Lamb with a Herby Crust

I love lamb, me.  Luckily, so does The Hubs (otherwise he'd starve).  To be honest I like my lamb pink, juicy and very tender - my idea of hell is grey, stringy overcooked lamb and... I can't stand lamb shanks.  I know they're uber-fashionable and very hearty but I just can't take to them at all myself.    A rack of lamb is the perfect cut of meat for me - the bones add flavour to the rack as it roasts and you end up with perfect little pink chops with a crunchy herby crust quicker than a takeaway would arrive.

When you're buying your rack of lamb, make sure you ask your butcher to trim the bones really well - they should be completely clean of meat otherwise they'll catch and burn in the oven - not exactly what you're looking for!  This is very easy to make - make your herby crust & have it ready, sear the meat on the hob, smear it with mustard, sprinkle on the crust and throw it into the oven.  Simples.

Rack of Lamb with a Herby Crust

1 rack of Lamb, well trimmed
Salt & Pepper
70g Breadcrumbs
15g Butter, melted
2 tbsp Flat Parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp Rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp Thyme, finely chopped
1 tsp Mint, finely chopped
2 tbsp French Mustard (either smooth or grainy)

Preheat your oven to 200c/Gas Mark 6.

Melt the butter and then add it to the herbs and breadcrumbs in a bowl.  Mix well and set aside

Heat a large frying pan on the hob, season the lamb with salt and pepper and sear for a minute on both sides until browned.

Place the lamb in a roasting tray and cover evenly with the mustard.

Now sprinkle with the herby breadcrumbs, pressing well into the mustard, which acts as a glue to to hold them to the meat.

Roast for 20 minutes (based on a 1.2kg joint) and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.  Sprinkle the toasted breadcrumbs that fell off during cooking, over the meat for added texture.