Easter Lamb Guard of Honour

Spring lamb is in season at Eastertime and two racks of best end interlaced together make a splendid centre piece for Easter lunch.  Ask your butcher to French trim the racks of lamb (the fat and meat trimmed away from the tops of the bones.

1 x AGA Portmeirion Roaster with Lip

2 x racks of spring lamb, 8 bones (cutlets) each

1 tbsp rape seed oil

1 tbsp English mustard

Herb crust:

25g fresh white breadcrumbs from a stale loaf

2 cloves of garlic

20g fresh parsley

10g fresh rosemary leaves

10g fresh mint leaves

Zest of a small lemon

1 egg yolk

Vegetable base:

3 onions, peeled and sliced

2-3 garlic bulbs, cut in half

Sprigs of rosemary

Lemon slices (use zested lemon from crust)

1 tbsp rape seed oil

Salt and black pepper

Gravy:

2 tbsp plain flour

600ml vegetable stock

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly

Method

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator about an hour before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature.

Heat the oil in a large AGA Frying Pan and brown the racks of lamb on all sides, lift onto a chopping board, cool slightly and lace the bones together to form the guard of honour.  Place the onions, garlic, rosemary and lemon slices into the AGA Roaster with Lip, drizzle with the oil, season and toss together.

2, 3, 4 and 5 oven AGA:  Slide the roaster onto the floor of the Roasting Oven for 10-15 minutes until the onions begin to caramelise (AGA 60, AGA 3 Series, AGA Total Control and AGA eR7 Series use the floor grid).

Put the breadcrumbs, garlic, herbs and lemon zest into a food processor and whizz until finely chopped, tip into a basin and mix in the egg yolk until loosely combined.

Remove the AGA Roaster with Lip from the oven stir the vegetable base then put the interlaced lamb racks on the top.  Brush the skin of the lamb with the mustard and press on the crumb crust. 

Return to the Roasting Oven, sliding the AGA Roaster with Lip onto the third set of runners and roast for about 20-25 minutes – the timings will vary dependent upon the size of the lamb racks and how you like your lamb cooked, (the recipe used this season’s spring lamb).  As a guide an internal temperature of 55-60ºC should be for medium rare.

Remove the guard of honour to a warmed plate and loosely cover with foil to rest for 10-15 minutes in a warm place, near the AGA or in the Warming Oven.  Meanwhile place the AGA Portmeirion Roaster with Lip on the Simmering Plate and stir the flour into the onions, garlic and lemon, cook for a couple of minutes.  Gradually stir in the stock to make the gravy, add the red currant jelly and bubble for about 3 minutes.  Strain into an AGA Portmeirion Sauce Boat.

Serve the lamb with steamed new potatoes, Chantenay carrots and green vegetables accompanied by gravy and mint sauce.


Dawn Roads

AGA Demonstrator