Now, I have a quest for each of you readers. If you can find an easier and more delicious way to serve Lamby pops (that’s what we call the individual ribs on a rack of lamb) please do not hesitate to send me an email with that recipe. But remember, one of the qualifications is easier. Because I too have an incredibly delicious recipe for lamby pops already on this site (Rack of Lamb with Kalamata-Rosemary Crust). But dear friends, it is just a whole lot more work to prepare. (But you should try it too, because it is really fantastic.)

Anyway, the main thing I want to convey is that this is an almost foolproof recipe that can be prepared in minutes. And yes, I am getting more and more inclined to take the easy road on meal preparation. But having confessed that, I still want the food I serve to be delicious. I just don’t want to spend as many hours in the kitchen as I used to.

So I came up with this take-off of my other recipe and found no fault with it at all. And to make the whole meal an effortless experience, I oven roasted some tiny potatoes in a bit of olive oil and herbs, and sliced up a couple of lovely tomatoes, sprinkled them with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, drizzled them with balsamic glaze, dribbled on some extra virgin olive oil, and lay a nice layer of fresh basil chiffonade over the whole works.     

All my prep work for this meal took me less than 30 minutes. In fact, I was finished prepping the meal before I finished drinking my before dinner libation. And that almost never happens. So for ease of preparation, overall presentation, and culinary appeal and flavor, I awarded myself the “Carr family spontaneous achievement of the day award”. (I received no resistance from Mr. C. for my self-aggrandizement. He knows on which side his bread is buttered. Smart man!)

4 garlic cloves, rough chopped 

2 tsp. finely minced fresh rosemary leaves

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 Frenched rack of lamb, (just means you can see the nice shiny bones)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Whirl the garlic, rosemary, olive oil, and Dijon mustard in your food processor (use your mini processor if you have one) until the garlic is finely chopped and the mixture resembles a thick paste. (You probably won’t get a smooth paste, but that’s not you want anyway. Tiny chunks are your friend in this case.)

Lightly season the lamb with kosher salt and pepper. Rub the garlic mixture all over the rack of lamb, but mostly on the fatty side. Place the rack fat side up on a rimmed baking sheet and let stand at room temperature for at least an hour.

Roast the lamb in the upper third of a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Turn the rack over and roast for 5-10 minutes longer for medium-rare meat. (The internal temperature for medium-rare lamb is 120-125 degrees.) When the meat reaches the desired temperature on your Instant thermometer, remove from oven and transfer to a carving board. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Cut the racks in between the rib bones and serve immediately.