Joseph Phelps Vineyards

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Rack of Lamb

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Recipe by Stephen Pavy

Serves: 6

Serve with Freestone Vineyards Pinot Noir

 two

Racks of lamb, fully trimmed
1 clove

Garlic, minced
½ tsp. Salt
1 ½ tsp. Chopped fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried thyme if fresh not available)
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Bread crumbs
4 Tbsp. Melted butter


Score the tops of the racks lightly, making crisscross knife slashes in the fat covering.  Mash garlic and salt together in small bowl, then mash in thyme.  Beat in mustard and oil.  (Alternately, if you have a hand blender, you can simply place garlic, salt, thyme, mustard and olive oil in a suitable container and blend all together.  I prefer the texture of the hand-mashed mixture.)

Paint the mixture over the tops and meaty ends of the racks.  Set racks meat side up on an oiled roasting pan and fold a strip of aluminum foil over the ends of the rack to keep them from scorching.  Lamb may be prepared several hours in advance, covered and refrigerated.  Important: bring to room temperature before roasting.

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Place lamb in upper middle part of oven and roast for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix bread crumbs with melted butter.  Reduce heat to 400°F.

Remove lamb from oven, insert meat thermometer and rapidly spread the bread crumbs over the top of each rack.  Return to oven for 15 minutes and then begin checking meat thermometer.  Remove when thermometer reaches 125°f for rosy rare (ideal).  Let lamb rest for only a few minutes before serving.