Lunch / Dinner
Crown Roast of Lamb
Bring the panache, style, elegance, a little swagger, and the big show with a Crown Roast of Lamb. It’s all so rich to look at, but remember, you don’t need a silver fork to eat great food.
Lamb has a distinctive flavor profile that is sweet and slightly astringent, making it an outstanding foil for vibrant aromatics like rosemary and garlic. Seasoning with rosemary and garlic enhances the lamb only a step beyond its natural flavor. Then, to keep it “springy,” the lamb is paired up with a Mascarpone Morel Pan Sauce, so step aside, mint jelly.
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Tips
Trim excess fat from the lamb racks. Square off the ends of the racks for a tight fit. And, do additional frenching if you’d like.
Cutting meat away from the rib is called frenching; most racks of lamb are partially frenched. To get a long-boned look, additional frenching is needed.
In lieu of having a Bundt pan to roast with, place an aluminum foil ball in the center of the crown roast to hold the round shape.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.
Arrange each rack in a semicircle (meat sides in and fat sides out) to form a circle. Tie end ribs together on one side with kitchen string. Wrap string tightly around both racks below the ribs, then tie together the end ribs on the opposite side. See steps, below.
Combine garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Rub lamb with oil, then press garlic mixture onto lamb to adhere.
Place crown around center of a Bundt pan. (If you don’t have a Bundt pan, wad up a sheet of aluminum foil and push into center of crown. Place crown on a rack coated with nonstick spray set inside a shallow roasting pan.)
Roast lamb until rib bones are beginning to brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part without touching bone registers 130° (rare), 30–35 minutes.
Transfer lamb to a cutting board, tent with foil while making the sauce; reserve drippings for Mascarpone Morel Pan Sauce.
Remove and discard string. Cut lamb into eight 2-rib chops; serve with sauce.
Start by forming the lamb racks into semicircles. Then tie two end bones together with a simple knot to anchor the string for the rest of the technique.
Wrap the string below the ribs and chine bones tightly, ending at the knot where you started.
Cross the string to the opposite side and tie the two end bones as a redundant brace to hold the crown shape. Don’t worry if the bones overlap from tying.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 255
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 98mg 32%
Sodium 341mg 14%
Carbs 1g 0%
Protein 33g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.