Feta-crusted lamb with rich tomato sauce

Recipe uploaded by

Jane Hornby

6 ratings

Recipe by Jane Hornby

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1. Video tutorial: Softening onions

1. Marinate the lamb first. Put the racks into a non-metallic dish and mix the thyme, oil, lemon zest, garlic and half the oregano in a bowl. Rub this all over the lamb, then leave to marinate for at least 30 mins or up to 24 hrs. It's important that you cook the lamb from room temperature rather than fridge cold, so if you're cooking within 1 hr or so, leave it out of the fridge.
2. For the sauce, finely chop the parsley stalks. Heat a large ovenproof frying pan or wide casserole, then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and the stalks, then soften for 1 min. Add the tomatoes and remaining oregano, then simmer for 5 mins until saucy, popping the cherry tomatoes with your wooden spoon to release all the juices and seeds. Chop the parsley leaves roughly and add half to the pan. Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/ gas 8. Make the crust by mixing the remaining parsley leaves, feta, zest, oregano and breadcrumbs in a bowl.
3. When you're ready to cook the lamb, leave most of the tasty marinade on the meat, season it well with salt and freshly ground pepper, then press the crust onto one side of each piece. Sit the racks in the sauce, with the crust-side facing upwards. Strew the thyme sprigs from the marinade over the lamb and into the sauce, then drizzle everything with a little extra virgin olive oil. Roast the lamb in the sauce, uncovered, for 20 mins (for pink and juicy meat) until the crust is golden and the sauce thickened. Leave to rest for 10 mins, loosely covered, so that the crust doesn't go soggy, then carve the lamb between each bone to make cutlets. Serve the crusted cutlets with spoonfuls of the intense, roasted-down tomato sauce, and the Easy buttered onion pilaf and Lemony greens (recipes below). Garnish with thyme.

Easy buttered onion pilaf

Heat 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan, add 1 thinly sliced onion, cover, then gently fry for 10 mins until soft, but not coloured. Remove lid, stir in 140g rice (rinsed in cold water first), cook for 1-2 mins, tip in 500ml chicken or lamb stock, then season. Stir, cover, then gently cook for 20 mins. Take off heat, then leave, covered, for 10 mins (or up to 30 mins), then fluff up the grains with a fork. They should be tender and buttery and the onions completely soft.

PER SERVING

582 kcalories, protein 26g, carbohydrate 12g, fat 48 g, saturated fat 18g, fibre 3g, salt 1.47 g

Latest comments and suggestions

• lisa

  01 April 2009

  lisa rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Made this for my husband's birthday and went down really well. The flavours were delicious and it was easy to prepare while looking after two young boys and their friends. Will make this again but will substitute the rice for a few crispy potatoes as the rice was too heavy and filling for our tastes. Did not make the suggested pudding but follwed with Raspberry and Lemon Brandy baskets also a Good Food recipe.

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• Rebecca

  10 May 2009

  Rebecca rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Cooked this for a bring and share meal (had to do 3x the quantity) Worked really well and everyone raved about it. Will definitely be doing it again.

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• martin

  12 May 2009

  martin rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Without a doubt one of the best dishes I've eaten. Perfectly balanced between the sweet and the savoury, easy to prepare, beautiful to look at and what a sauce!!! Just amazing. Served it with leeks and mushrooms fried together in butter instead of faffing about with rice or 'lemony greens'. The ideal supper for a cold spring night. -m

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• rua

  07 June 2009

  rua rated and commented on this recipe

  

  i'd give this more stars if there were more stars available. it was perfection on a plate. one of those dishes that you sit back half way through, but are lost for words to describe the sensation that's happening in your mouth. served with spanish potatoes (also from this site) and a side salad of tomato, red onion & feta with an olive oil and balsamico dressing.

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• Samantha

  05 July 2009

  Samantha rated and commented on this recipe

  

  I used chopped tomatoes rather than cherry and they tasted a little bitter, so I think cherry tomatoes are definitely needed. Other than that I liked the crust on the lamb and would make again.

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• Mich

  09 July 2009

  Mich commented on this recipe

  Fab dinner, did cook the lamb for longer however- fan over 210 for 29 mins, 6 mins at 190 and then 10 min rest, cooked perfectly - pink and moist! Used fresh cherry toms and tasty! Side dish was the feta, green lentil and pea that goes with another Good Food lamb recipe - very tasty too!

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• Mich

  09 July 2009

  Mich rated and commented on this recipe

  

  would help if I rated it!

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• Carl White

  23 October 2009

  Carl White commented on this recipe

  This is a very expensive cut of lamb, which is ruined by the tomato sauce. The tomato sauce is far too strong and overpowering there for it takes away any taste of the lamb. If you use this recipe do not cook the lamb with the tomato sauce, keep it separate as a side dish. The crust is however quite nice. I will not be using this recipe again.

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Ingredients

• 7-or 8-bone rack of lamb , trimmed of fat, then cut into two racks
• few thyme sprigs, left whole, plus extra sprigs to serve
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for frying and drizzling
• zest ½ lemon
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano

FOR THE SAUCE

• 20g pack flat-leaf parsley
• 1 fat or 2 regular garlic cloves , crushed
• 400g can cherry tomatoes

FOR THE CRUST

• 50g feta cheese , finely crumbled
• zest ½ lemon
• pinch dried oregano
• ½ slice white bread (use day-old if you can), whizzed into crumbs

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Difficulty and servings

Serves 2

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 20 mins

Cook 30 mins

Ingredients

• 7-or 8-bone rack of lamb , trimmed of fat, then cut into two racks
• few thyme sprigs, left whole, plus extra sprigs to serve
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for frying and drizzling
• zest ½ lemon
• 2 garlic cloves , crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano

FOR THE SAUCE

• 20g pack flat-leaf parsley
• 1 fat or 2 regular garlic cloves , crushed
• 400g can cherry tomatoes

FOR THE CRUST

• 50g feta cheese , finely crumbled
• zest ½ lemon
• pinch dried oregano
• ½ slice white bread (use day-old if you can), whizzed into crumbs

PER SERVING

582 kcalories, protein 26g, carbohydrate 12g, fat 48 g, saturated fat 18g, fibre 3g, salt 1.47 g

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