Lamb with pistachio herb crust

INGREDIENTS SERVES 4

2 racks of lamb, French trimmed (fat removed and bones cleaned – ask your butcher to do this)

1tbsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves, peeled 150g shelled pistachios 30g fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves only 30g fresh mint, leaves only

Grated zest of 1 lemon 75g crustless bread, a day or two old 2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Season the lamb. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the olive oil and brown the lamb for two to three minutes on all sides.

Whizz the garlic, pistachios, herbs, lemon zest and bread in a food processor until finely chopped.

Spread a tablespoon of mustard over each rack of lamb and coat in the herb mixture, pressing gently so that it sticks.

Roast for 15-20 minutes: 15 minutes will be very pink. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Serving suggestion: A nice side dish is to take a tin of drained haricot beans, tip them into a pan adding a crushed garlic clove, a knob of butter, some chopped fresh parsley and half a chicken stock cube. Cook over a very low heat for about 20 minutes. l Recipe from Table Manners: The Cookbook by Jessie and Lennie Ware, photography by Ola O Smit, published by Ebury Press, priced £22.