Best Lamb Recipes For Easter and a pièce de résistance Rack of Lamb
Posted on March 24, 2016 by nerinatimm in lamb
Best lamb recipes for you to try this Easter. I have it all, roasts, casseroles, grilled lamb and even something for the BBQ.
To try and select the best lamb recipes on my site, was daunting to say the least. I have so many and each and every one is packed with flavor or has some happy memory connected to them. I based my selection of best lamb recipes on what YOU want. Something for the pot, something for the grill, something for the in between nibbles.
Why do we eat lamb at Easter? Basically, the tradition of eating lamb at Easter goes back to early Passover, long before the birth of Christ and Christianity. In the book of Exodus we can read about the Israelites in Egypt who suffered a series of horrible plagues, worst of them all, the death of every firstborn son. To keep the “death” out, the Jews painted their doorposts with the blood of the sacrificed lamb so that God “death” would “pass over” their homes while He was punishing them. The lamb had to be roasted and enjoyed with loved ones and neighbors. The Jews who converted to Christianity continued this tradition at Easter.
For my family, the tradition is not so much the lamb eating ritual, but the family feast that is the spill around which everything else rotates. We eat lamb, because it happens to be our favorite meat to roast or grill, but it is by far not the only meat we devour at these family feasts.
I do hope you will try at least one of my best lamb recipes!
Butterfly De-boned Leg of lamb
This is by far our favorite way of eating lamb. Grilled to perfection and basted with olive oil and rosemary, this is a centre-piece recipe. You can either serve it with your favorite roast vegetables or salads. This year we are having it with tzatziki, warm pita breads, humus, coriander and tomato salad. The kids absolutely love it.
Grilled Lamb Chops
What would a BBQ be without lamb chops. I like to keep it simple, because I want to taste of lamb and not sticky sweet basting sauces. So for me, salt, pepper, lemon and a hint of rosemary works. Rosemary can be overpowering so I basically use a sprig to baste the chops, that is it.
Lamb Burgers
These lamb burgers are delicious – big or small! They make the most delicious snacks as mini burgers, but make your patties bigger and you have the most flavorsome burger you will ever have. This is most probably also the most affordable lamb recipe for this Easter.
Moroccan Lamb Riblets
On the grill or in the oven, these riblets are crowd pleasers. The fragrant Moroccan spices with the orange marinade and then some preserved lemon in the couscous is just so deliciously different.
Rack of Lamb with Pistachio Crust
serves 4
Ingredients
1 rack of lamb with 8 bones – ask your butcher to do it for you!
salt and pepper
a little olive oil
45 ml Dijon Mustard
250 ml fresh breadcrumbs
125 ml chopped pistachios
zest of 1 lemon
Method
Preheat oven to 200 C. First make the crumbs by mixing the breadcrumbs, pistachios and lemon zest. Keep until needed. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat a pan or skillet ( I prefer cast iron, because then it can go straight to the oven.) and add the olive oil. Brown the lamb on all sides and remove from the pan. Allow the lamb to cool. Now spread the mustard on the fat side of the lamb and then pack the crumb mixture on the mustard. Place the lamb back into the pan or skillet and roast in the oven for about 35-45 minutes depending on how big your rack of lamb is. Serve with roasted vegetables or creamy mashed potatoes.
Difficult to choose one. I am making a 6 hour lamb. Never tried this before but love to try new things. Have a very Happy Easter!