Roasted rack of English lamb with chargrilled Provencal vegetables, olive tapenade and basil pesto

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Tender racks of lamb go beautifully with the sunshine flavours of chargrilled vegetables and basil in this simple main course from Matthew Tomkinson. This roast lamb recipe is a perfect alternative to traditional Sunday lunch.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Rack of English lamb

Chargrilled vegetables

Tapenade

Pesto

Method

1
Blend the pesto ingredients together until smooth in a food processor and place to one side
2
Then, for the tapenade, simply pulse the olives and oil together in blender until smooth but with a little texture remaining, then set to one side
3
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6. In a large hot sauté pan, place a tablespoon of olive oil and then the seasoned lamb racks, fat side down. Allow to colour well and then turn over and colour all sides evenly
4
Return to being fat side down and place in the hot oven for 12–15 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest, reserving any resting juices to drizzle over before serving
5
While the lamb cooks, prepare the chargrilled vegetables. In a small pan warm 30ml of the olive with the garlic and thyme until it starts to sizzle. Remove from the heat and season with salt
6
Toss the vegetables with the remaining olive oil and season. In a very hot chargrill pan sear them until cooked. Cut into small pieces and place in the flavoured oil to marinade
7
To serve, place a pool of the pesto to one side of the serving plate and a quenelle of the tapenade on the other. Reheat the vegetables in the oven and place over the pesto. Carve each rack in half and drizzle with some of the resting juices. Serve
First published in 2015

Matthew Tomkinson’s elegant and highly accomplished food earned him a Roux Scholarship in 2005, as well as Michelin stars at The Goose and The Montagu Arms. He now cooks classically influenced comforting dishes at Betony at The Kings Head in Wiltshire.

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