Sumac and almond crusted lamb rack

Ingredients

1 lamb rack serves 2-3

Lemon Relish
5 lemons
1 onion, red or white, finely diced
¼ cup honey
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
A small handful of fresh mint leaves

Almond and sumac crust
½ cup almonds
1 ciabatta or sour dough roll, toasted
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sumac
Black pepper
A handful of mint

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1 lamb rack
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard

To serve
Fresh labne or ricotta
1 bunch green beans

Method

Lemon relish
1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC.
2. Slice the lemons thinly, remove any seeds and place on a greased baking sheet and into the oven.
3. After 5-10 minutes, turn the lemons and bake for a further 5-10 minutes. Make sure the lemons do not brown – you want them to dry-out without colouring.
Take the lemon out to cool.
4. Sauté the onion in a little olive oil until soft and translucent.
5. Roughly chop the lemon and add to the food processor along with the sautéed onion, honey, olive oil and salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is incorporated but not smooth.
6. Lastly add the mint and pulse just a few times to combine.

Crumb
1. Toast the ciabatta lightly.
2. Blend the ciabatta with the almonds, olive oil, sumac, pepper and mint.

Lamb
1. Preheat oven to 220ºC.
2. Drizzle a little olive oil over the lamb rack, season with salt and pepper and rub it all in.
3. Sear the lamb in a super-hot frying pan with olive oil.
4. Place the lamb (in the frying pan) in the oven for 6-8 minutes. After this time, take the frying pan out and give the lamb a little press - it should still feel soft to touch.
5. Using a pastry brush, cover the meat with Dijon mustard. Then holding it by its bones, dip the meat into the crumbs, one side at a time. This is a delicate process as the lamb is hot and the crumbs may need to be packed on a little with your hands.
6. Place crumbed lamb back in the frying pan and back in the oven for another 6-8 minutes.
7. Place the lamb on a plate, wrap in tinfoil and let rest for at least 5 minutes.


To serve
1. Boil the green beans in salted water. Drain, season and drizzle with a little olive oil.
2. Serve with a good quality labne or ricotta, the lemon chutney and green beans.
3. If there are leftovers, it makes an amazing salad with the addition of cherry tomatoes, rocket and thick slices of fresh Turkish bread on the side.