Rack of lamb with whipped garlic mash and tapenade
This makes a fantastic spring Sunday lunch as rack of lamb is served with fresh tapenade and spring vegetables.
Ingredients
For the garlic mash
- 1 garlic bulb, top cut off to expose the cloves
- olive oil, to drizzle
- 300g/10½oz potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 50ml/2fl oz double cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the lamb
- 100g/3½oz butter
- 1 garlic bulb, cut in half
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 rack of lamb, French trimmed
- garlic flowers, to garnish
For the spring vegetables
For the gravy
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 300ml/10fl oz red wine
- 2 tsp mint sauce (optional)
For the tapenade
Method
To make the mash, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Drizzle the garlic with olive oil and roast for 1 hour until the skins are golden and the cloves are soft.
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of water and bring to the boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and cook until tender. This will take 15–20 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes. Drain the potatoes and return to the hot dry pan. Leave for a few minutes to steam dry, then whip with a hand whisk or mash with a potato ricer. Squeeze out the garlic cloves and pass through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Add the potatoes and cream to the bowl, season with salt and pepper and stir everything together.
To make the lamb, heat the butter in a roasting tin on the hob until foaming. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme. Place the lamb rack in the tray fat side down, and allow some of the fat to render out on a gentle heat. Lay the rack on top of the garlic and herbs. Roast in the oven for 8–10 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove from the oven, cover in foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes, retaining the cooking juices.
To cook the spring vegetables, add the vegetables to a sauté pan with the butter. Add enough water to just cover the vegetables, and cook at a gentle simmer until tender. Reserve the cooking water for the gravy.
To make the gravy, skim off the fat from the meat juices. Pour the meat juices into a saucepan over a medium heat and cook gently. Add the flour and stir in. Add the red wine and 300ml/10fl oz cooking water from the vegetables. Bring to the boil, stirring well. Cook until reduced to the desired consistency. Stir in the mint sauce, if using.
To make the tapenade, blend all the ingredients together in a bowl or food processor, adding olive oil until it reaches the desired consistency.
To serve, carve the lamb into individual chops. Smear the olive tapenade across four plates. Place spring vegetables on the plates and place the lamb on top. Decorate with garlic flowers and serve the garlic mash on the side.
