Crown Roast of Lamb with Pistachio, Mint & Lemon Crust

⏱ 95 min · Serves 6

A proper show-stopper: two racks of lamb curved into a golden crown, cloaked in a vivid green crust of pistachios, mint and lemon zest. It carves at the table into blushing pink cutlets, and the pan juices become a glossy mint-scented gravy. Ask your butcher to French the bones and tie the crown — everything after that is easy.

Per serving: 742 kcal · 45.0g protein · 32.0g carbs · 48.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 racks of lamb (7-8 bones each, about 700g each), Frenched and tied into a crown by your butcher
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g shelled unsalted pistachios
• 60g panko breadcrumbs
• 25g fresh mint leaves, packed
• 15g fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 small garlic clove
• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard, plus 2 tbsp for brushing
• 1 tbsp honey
• 500g baby new potatoes, halved
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 150ml dry white wine
• 300ml good lamb or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp cold water

Method

1. Take the lamb out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking. Pat dry, rub with 1 tbsp olive oil and season generously all over. Wrap the exposed bone tips in a little foil to stop them charring.
2. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Blitz the pistachios, panko, mint, parsley, lemon zest and garlic in a food processor until coarse and green. Add the butter, 2 tsp Dijon, honey, a pinch of salt and pulse to a clumpy paste.
3. Heat a large frying pan over high heat and sear the outside of the crown briefly, turning, just to colour the fat — 3-4 minutes total. Sit the crown in a roasting tin.
4. Toss the potatoes with the remaining oil, rosemary and salt and scatter around the crown.
5. Brush the outside and top of the lamb with the 2 tbsp Dijon, then press the pistachio crust firmly all over the outer fat and the top edge. Fill the centre cavity with a loose ball of foil to help it keep its shape.
6. Roast for 15 minutes at 220C, then drop the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and roast a further 20-25 minutes, until a thermometer in the thickest meat reads 52-54C for blushing pink. Tent loosely with foil if the crust browns too fast.
7. Lift the crown and potatoes onto a warm platter, tent with foil and rest 15 minutes — this is essential.
8. Spoon off excess fat from the tin, set it over medium heat, pour in the wine and bubble hard for 2 minutes, scraping. Add the stock and redcurrant jelly, simmer 5 minutes, then whisk in the cornflour slurry to thicken lightly. Season and strain.
9. Remove the foil from the bones, carve down between the ribs into cutlets, and serve two or three per person with the potatoes and gravy.