I was chatting with a friend in my shop recently about Easter dinner ideas and he mentioned lamb and how intimidating it is to prepare. Huh? It is? I'm here to tell you there is nothing easier or more elegant than a gorgeous rack of lamb. And I'm going to show you how to make it even more luxurious with a side of fluffy whipped feta and honey. Roast up some asparagus with a squeeze of lemon and you have a perfect Easter meal.
Ingredients
Rack of Lamb for four people:
1 1/2 Tblsp kosher salt
2 Tblsp rosemary, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
2 racks of lamb (Trader Joes has them already frenched for a good price)
Instructions
On a cutting board, mound the salt, rosemary and garlic together. Now chop the whole pile until thoroughly minced. Add this mixture to a small bowl and combine with the Dijon and vinegar.
Place the lamb racks in a roasting pan rib side down. Coat the ribs with the mustard and herb mixture. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Roast the lamb for 25 minutes for medium-rare. 30 minutes for medium. Remove from the oven and tent with aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes.
Whipped Feta
Ingredients
6 ounces feta, crumbled
2 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup olive oil, divided
2 Tblsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tblsps honey
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Place the feta and cream cheese in a food processor and pulse until mixed.
To the processor, add 1/3 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, salt and pepper and process until very smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining olive oil and honey together.
Place the cheese mixture in a serving bowl and pour the oil and honey mixture over the whipped feta.
To Serve: I slice the lamb in to 2 rib sections and serve two (4 total ribs) per person. I smear half of the plate with the whipped feta and place the ribs on top of the smear. I also garnish with some mint leaves. Serve with some greens or roasted asparagus and you have a lovely elegant Easter plate. Don't forget to add some crusty bread or naan to the table with an additional bowl of the whipped feta. Trust me, everyone will want more!
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