A beautiful autumn-inspired Rack of Lamb

A pumpkin seed-crusted rack of lamb is absolutely delicious! As you can see from the photo above the crust makes for a beautiful presentation. Many of you might think that pumpkin seeds are a bit strange to pair with lamb.  However, once you taste the wonderful earthy flavors of this crust married with the gaminess of the lamb, you will definitely realize that this is a winning combination.  So much so that it deserves to be made long past autumn and pumpkin-picking season!

Let’s also talk a little bit about pumpkin seeds. Of course, you can buy a pumpkin cut it open, scrape out the seeds and dry them out. Once dried out you can shell them and you’ll have what you need to create this recipe. On the other hand, you can simply go to the supermarket and buy pumpkin seeds that are all ready to go!

Ingredients:

(Serves 2-3 people)

• 1 Rack of Lamb
• 1 cup of Panko
• 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds (coarsely chopped)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoon olive oil

Tip: Depending on how much fat cap you leave on the rack of lamb will determine if you’ll need to use more or less olive oil and butter. The fat will render as it cooks and will create its own natural liquid fat to cook in. So, monitor your cooking accordingly.

Preparation:

• First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Score the fat on the outside of the rack in a crisscross pattern
• Heat the oil over medium heat and add the butter
• Season the lamb with salt & pepper
• Now put the lamb in the pan to sear and quickly brown the surface on both sides
• Mix the panko and pumpkin seed and press evenly around the rack
• Finish off in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes
• Take out of the oven and let rest for 5 minutes and then you are ready to serve