Roast Rack of Lamb Persillade is truly one of those special occasion roasts. Serve it “cathedral style” or as individual chops; either way, your guests will be blown away. And just wait until they take that first bite. Serve alongside roasted balsamic potatoes for an unforgettable feast.
🌿 The Ingredients
The fresh parsley, garlic, and herbs in the persillade blend infuse the tender lamb with vibrant, savory flavors while the breadcrumbs create a crispy, aromatic crust that elevates the roast into an unforgettable centerpiece. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
👉 Substitutions and Variations
- Protein – Individual lamb chops can be used in place of the rack. You may be interested in a simpler recipe with our Grilled Marinated Lamb Chops. You could just skip the persillade (breadcrumb and herb topping). Veal shanks are another substitution.
- Mustard – Dijon will add a depth of flavor to the roast. It also enables the persillade to adhere to the roast. Yellow mustard can also be used and will impart no flavor. For an extra punch of flavor, try spicy brown mustard or whole grain mustard.
- Flavor enhancers – The fresh herbs work wonderfully with the succulent and rich lamb. We recommend parsley, basil, and rosemary, but sage, marjoram, and thyme are excellent choices, too, or any combination of them. If using dried herbs, then go with half the amount.
Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
Expert Tip
Quality counts! Select a high-quality rack of lamb with a good fat cap for the best flavor and texture. This roast is all about the quality of the meat. Don’t skimp (this is a special occasion!).
👩🏼🍳 How To Make Roast Rack of Lamb Persillade
- Step 1: Brush oil all over the racks and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 2: In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, herbs, shallots, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper.
- Step 3: Roast racks in the pan for 20 minutes for medium-rare and then smear Dijon mustard over the meat.
- Step 4: Press a thin layer of the persillade over the mustard (not too much!)
- Step 5: Broil for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 6: Let rest for 10 minutes, then arrange the two racks “cathedral-style.”
🍽️ How To Serve
- After you’ve placed the racks packed with persillade under the broiler for a short amount of time (keep an eye on them and don’t let them burn!), you’ll want to let the racks rest for about 15 minutes.
- For an epic presentation, carefully place the two racks on a platter, with the bones pointing upwards. Loosely interlock the bones to create a “cathedral-style” presentation.
- If you’d rather skip the cathedral presentation, go ahead and slice the chops and then place them on a large platter. Two chops are typically sufficient per serving. Don’t forget a nice sprinkling of coarse sea salt.
- Serve this roast with balsamic roasted potatoes, maple-glazed carrots, or rice pilaf with cranberries and pecans.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Traditionally, persillade includes fresh parsley as the main herb, often combined with garlic. We love the addition of basil and rosemary to complement the lamb’s flavor.
Yes, you can substitute regular breadcrumbs with gluten-free options such as crushed gluten-free crackers, almond meal, or gluten-free panko to maintain the crispy texture without gluten.
To French the rack of lamb, trim away the fat and meat from the ends of the rib bones to expose them cleanly, creating an elegant presentation and making it easier to handle and carve after roasting. Your butcher can do this easily for you.
🍠 Other Incredible Holiday Roasts
Ready to make one of the most impressive holiday roasts of all time? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Roast Rack of Lamb
Video
Equipment
- Roasting pan
- Meat thermometer preferably digital
Ingredients
- 2 racks lamb 1½ lb – 1¾ lbs, with 7 or 8 ribs, Frenched
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Persillade
- ¾ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup parsley fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon rosemary fresh, chopped
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoon chicken stock
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- coarse sea salt for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Brush olive oil all over the two racks and then sprinkle salt and pepper all over.2 racks lamb, 2 tablespoon olive oil, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Place the racks of lamb, fat-side up in a roasting pan and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the lamb (but not touching the bone) registers 125°F for rare or 135°F for medium rare, about 20 – 25 minutes.
- While the meat is roasting, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, rosemary, shallots, garlic, stock, melted butter, salt, and pepper. Stir to fully combine. The mixture should be moist and will stay together when pressed.¾ cup Panko bread crumbs, ⅓ cup parsley, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1 small shallot, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoon chicken stock, 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Remove the lamb from the oven. Brush the Dijon mustard liberally over the tops of the racks. Press the persillade mixture on the tops of each rack. Use your hands to help adhere the crumb mixture to the racks.¼ cup Dijon mustard
- Turn your broiler on to HIGH.
- Place the lamb under the broiler (about 4 inches) and broil until the topping is lightly browned, 2 – 3 minutes. Watch closely…don't let it burn!
- Remove from the oven and allow the racks to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- If desired, place the two racks on a platter, upright, with the bones interlocking to create a 'cathedral-style' presentation.
- Use a large knife to slice each lamb chop. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve at once.coarse sea salt
Notes
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This post was originally published in December 2016, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography and a fabulous new video in December 2023!
Chefmimi says
Such beautiful photos! My husband won’t eat lamb, so this stunner is out of the question for me, sadly.
Sarah says
Loved it! Thank you!
Kris Longwell says
Hi Sarah!! Awesome!! So glad you had such great success with the rack of lamb. That is fantastic!! And thank you so much for letting us know and for the great review! That means the world to us!! All the best, Kris & Wesley