Lambahryggur — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Herb-crusted roast rack of Icelandic free-range lamb with a natural jus. The pure, grassy flavor of Icelandic lamb needs little embellishment.

Ingredients

1 rack of Icelandic lamb (8 ribs, about 800g)
3 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
200ml lamb or chicken stock for jus

Instructions

1 Remove lamb from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Pat dry.
2 Mix garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and olive oil into a paste. Rub all over the lamb.
3 Heat a skillet over high heat and sear the lamb on all sides until golden, about 4 minutes total.
4 Transfer to a roasting pan, bone-side down. Roast at 200°C for 20-25 minutes for medium-rare (internal temp 55°C).
5 Rest the lamb on a board, tented with foil, for 10 minutes.
6 Deglaze the roasting pan with stock, simmer to reduce by half for a natural jus. Carve between the bones and serve.

Did You Know?

Icelandic lambs roam free in the highlands all summer eating wild herbs and grasses, giving their meat a distinctive herbal flavor found nowhere else.