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Rack of lamb with parsley. A classic French recipe that is savory and delicious. Tender roasted meat that is cooked to perfection in the oven with a parsley crust. A hint of garlic mixed with the parsley, bonding together with bread and the French most loved butter.

Mouthwatering and divine. My comfort food all year round.

I first wrote about this recipe in Giangi’s Kitchen ten years ago. It was my son’s favorite dish then, still to this day his favorite and as soon as lamb is on the cutting board, he starts looming around the kitchen.

I was always intimidated by making a rack of lamb. Love it and always have it when it is on a restaurant menu. The first time I decided to give it a try, I was flabbergasted at how easy it is to make. The oven does it all.

What is a Rack of lamb? 

A rack of lamb, or carre` d’agneau, is the section of ribs, 8 lamb chops in one piece. This cut of lamb is cut perpendicular to the spine.  When all the ribs are left together and cooked as a whole, that is when they are referred to as a rack of lamb.

They are referred to as ribs or chops.

Although a bit pricey, they are absolutely divine and so tender.

They require little preparation and the classic way of preparing the rack of lamb is with the bones “Frenched” or exposed.

What is frenched rack of lamb?

Frenched rack of lamb is when the fat, cartilage, excess meat are removed from the bone for a prettier presentation.

Most supermarkets and butchers have it already frenched for their customers.

However, it is a very easy task to do as you run a knife alongside the bones until you reach the large meaty portion of the rack.

Depending on which recipe of a rack of lamb you chose to prepare, you may be required to cover those exposed rib bones as not to burn them in the cooking process.

Let’s dive into this rack of lamb recipe, shall we?

Cooking this beautiful herbs crusted rack of lamb is a lot easier than you expected. First of all, you make sure that any extra fat that may be nestled between the end f the meat and the exposed bones are removed.

Lamb can have a bit of fat on the meat part of it, therefore gently removing some will be ok.

Once you have it all cleaned and ready to go, it will only take 30 minutes in the oven to be enjoyed. Of course, the cooking time may vary depending on your oven. I have an old oven and it takes 5 more minutes than any new oven.

This recipe requires little preparation.

• After cleaning any extra fat that you may not desire, rub it with oil, generously season it with salt and pepper, and it is ready for the first round of cooking.
• Meanwhile, prepare the herb crust by finely chopping garlic, parsley, bread, thyme, shallot in your food processor. Why make life complicated when you can have it all done in one swift pulse, right?
• Add the melted butter to the above combination and when that buzzer sounds to let you know that the rack of lamb is ready for its herbs, you are ready to place it over it.
• Spread a generous layer of French mustard to the rack which will help for the parsley crust to stick to the lamb.

I do not cover it but do lower the oven temperature. I like to first sear the frenched rack of lamb. Make sure your oven is on at 400F degrees. You want to sear the outside and keep the inside tender.

Once the parsley crust is placed over the rack, then I lower the heat.

Also, I do not use a meat thermometer, and I do like my meat medium-rare.

Let it rest on the counter covering it for a few minutes,  and it will finish the internal cooking process.

Side dishes

The parsley, garlic, and shallot combined with the lamb are a very powerful savory dish. In France, we serve alongside, potatoes gratin or roasted rosemary potatoes , and a very light salad with vinaigrette.

During the fall and winter I would recommend a richer potato dish, but coming spring and summer, lighter such as the potatoes below. Green beans, asparagus are also a perfect side dish to go alongside.

Nothing that will still the show from your main dish.

Any time you have gamey rich meat, it is always recommended to have wine, in this case, red wine. Make sure you select a full-body red wine to go alongside.

If you enjoy this dish, check out these flavorful recipes as well:

Caramelized Rack of Lamb

Zucchini Tomatoes Gratin

Lamb Chops with Parsley, Garlic and Rosemary

Pepper Crusted Rack of Lamb with Horseradish Creme Fraiche

Equipment used to make this wonderful recipe

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Originally published on February 9, 2012, Updated on March 24, 2022