Roast rack of lamb with a rye, herb and spice crust

Ingredients

• 125g rye breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs
• 30ml vegetable oil, plus extra for the pan
• 15g pack of flat-leaf parsley
• 15g pack of dill
• 1 regular salty anchovy
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp French mustard, plus extra to rub on the lamb
• 1 tsp smoked sea salt
• 1⁄2 tsp freshly ground allspice
• Pinch of white pepper
• 4 x French-trimmed racks of lamb
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Rack of lamb is a really quick and delicious way of having roast lamb and this rye crust adds a little extra crunch and spice to the sweet lamb meat. A green salad on the side will cut through the richness of the lamb nicely. Any leftover lamb can be gnawed on the next day, or shorn from its rack and sliced into a salad or wrap.

1. Preheat the oven to 190 ̊C/gas mark 5.

2. Start by blitzing all the ingredients up to and including the white pepper in a blender so that you have an aromatic breadcrumb mixture.

3. Lightly season the lamb racks and place them fat side down in a hot pan with some oil, so you render and crisp the lamb fat before roasting the racks with the rye crumbs. Keep an eye on the lamb to make sure the fat doesn’t burn.

5. Place your lamb racks in a roasting dish so they stack against each other in two pairs. Allow them to cool slightly before using your hands to rub a little mustard over the surface of the racks.

6. Press the breadcrumb mixture firmly on to the racks and put in the preheated oven—cook for 15 minutes if you like your lamb pink and 20–25 minutes if you like it a little more well done. Ovens vary so keep an eye on the racks as they cook.

7. When the lamb is done to your liking, remove from the oven and rest on a chopping board for 10–15 minutes before transferring to a large platter.

8. Serve with an assortment of pickles.

Extracted from Signe Johansen's How to Hygge: The Secrets of Nordic Living (Bluebird, £14.99), published on October 20 2016.

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