Lamb Rack with Lemon Orzo Salad

Dinner recipesLamb recipesCucumber recipesMint recipesSlow cooked recipes
Written By Megan Osborne

RECIPE

Recipe image of two roasted lamb cutlets on a plate on top of a lemon, tomato, cucumber, pickled onion and goat's cheese orzo salad. White plate on a white marble background, the serving tray with remaining lamb salad in the bottom right corner.

Lamb rack is a fantastic dish to enjoy for a special dinner. This easy roast lamb and salad recipe packs a real punch, with buttery, toasty, lemon-infused orzo and melt-in-your-mouth lamb. Enjoy!

 

RECIPE

Lamb rack with lemon orzo salad

PREP: 45 mins | COOK: 45 mins
REST: 1 hour 15 mins
DIFFICULTY: Medium | SERVES: 4

Ingredients:

Lamb:
1 rack of lamb, cap on (approximately 750g)
1 bulb garlic, halved for roasting 
Lamb Marinade:
Juice and zest of one lemon
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp chopped thyme (fresh or dried)
1/2 tsp sumac
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbs salt flakes
Cracked pepper

Pickled onions:
1 red onion, thinly sliced into rounds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp white sugar
1/2 cup water

Orzo salad:
100g butter
1 lemon, sliced into thick rounds
1/4 cup pistachios
1 1/2 cups orzo (risoni)
3 cups chicken stock
2 Lebanese cucumbers, diced
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 generous handful of parsley, chopped
1-2 tbsp goat’s cheese

Salad dressing:
Juice from 1 lemon
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs maple syrup
Salt & pepper

A rectangular serving platter of lamb rack on a lemon orzo salad.

Method:

  1. Marinate the lamb and set aside for at least 30 minutes. Sear in a hot frying pan on all sides (spend a little longer on the fat), then place on halved garlic bulb on a roasting tray, and roast at 200ºC for 30 minutes or until internal temp reads 65º. Rest for at least 10 minutes, then slice into cutlets before serving.

  2. While lamb is cooking, pickle your onions by mixing all your ingredients together. Cover and set aside to pickle (you can do this in advance, too).

  3. Using the lamb frying pan, melt butter, then add lemon slices and pistachios. Remove lemon and pistachios from pan once golden, then add in orzo. Cook, stirring for 3-5 minutes until lightly toasted, then add the chicken stock and simmer, covered for around 15 minutes, or until absorbed and cooked through.

  4. Mix together salad dressing ingredients, then add to a bowl with the cooked orzo, lemon slices, pistachios, cucumber, tomatoes and parsley. Add to a platter or individual plates and top with lamb cutlets, pickled onion (and some of the vinegar from pickling) and finally goat’s cheese.

Tip: Pickled onions will store in the fridge. Best enjoyed within a few days.

Megan Osborne
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