Name: Feta-crusted lamb with rich tomato sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 7-or 8-bone rack of lamb trimmed of fat, then cut into two racks; few thyme sprigs, left whole, plus extra sprigs to serve; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for frying and drizzling; zest ½ lemon; 2 garlic cloves crushed; 1 tsp dried oregano; 20g pack flat-leaf parsley; 1 fat or 2 regular garlic cloves crushed; 400g can cherry tomatoes; 50g feta cheese finely crumbled; zest ½ lemon; pinch dried oregano; ½ slice white bread (use day-old if you can), whizzed into crumbs

Home
Recipes
Feta-crusted lamb with rich tomato sauce

Feta-crusted lamb with rich tomato sauce

Jane Hornby

Save recipe

Serves 2

Easy

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Plus marinating and resting

A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.23 ratingsRate

loading...

As the lamb roasts, little
nuggets of feta from the crust melt into
the gutsy, tomatoey, garlicky sauce

Skip to ingredients

Alternatives

Complete the dish

Showing items 1 to 3 of 3

Warm honey cup puddings

A star rating of 4.4 out of 5.29 ratings

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

7-or 8-bone rack of lamb

trimmed of fat, then cut into two racks
few thyme

sprigs, left whole, plus extra sprigs to serve
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

plus extra for frying and drizzling
zest ½ lemon
2 garlic cloves

crushed
1 tsp dried oregano

For the sauce

20g pack flat-leaf parsley
1 fat or 2 regular garlic cloves

crushed
400g can cherry tomatoes

For the crust

50g feta cheese

finely crumbled
zest ½ lemon
pinch dried oregano
½ slice white bread

(use day-old if you can), whizzed into crumbs

Keep the screen awake with cook mode on the Good Food app.

Nutrition: per serving

kcal582
fat48g
saturates18g
carbs12g
sugars6g
fibre3g
protein26g
salt1.47g

low

Method

step 1

Marinate the lamb first. Put the racks into a non-metallic dish and mix the thyme, oil, lemon zest, garlic and half the oregano in a bowl. Rub this all over the lamb, then leave to marinate for at least 30 mins or up to 24 hrs. It’s important that you cook the lamb from room temperature rather than fridge cold, so if you’re cooking within 1 hr or so, leave it out of the fridge.
step 2

For the sauce, finely chop the parsley stalks. Heat a large ovenproof frying pan or wide casserole, then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and the stalks, then soften for 1 min. Add the tomatoes and remaining oregano, then simmer for 5 mins until saucy, popping the cherry tomatoes with your wooden spoon to release all the juices and seeds. Chop the parsley leaves roughly and add half to the pan. Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/ gas 8. Make the crust by mixing the remaining parsley leaves, feta, zest, oregano and breadcrumbs in a bowl.
step 3

When you’re ready to cook the lamb, leave most of the tasty marinade on the meat, season it well with salt and freshly ground pepper, then press the crust onto one side of each piece. Sit the racks in the sauce, with the crust-side facing upwards. Strew the thyme sprigs from the marinade over the lamb and into the sauce, then drizzle everything with a little extra virgin olive oil. Roast the lamb in the sauce, uncovered, for 20 mins (for pink and juicy meat) until the crust is golden and the sauce thickened. Leave to rest for 10 mins, loosely covered, so that the crust doesn’t go soggy, then carve the lamb between each bone to make cutlets. Serve the crusted cutlets with spoonfuls of the intense, roasted-down tomato sauce, and the Easy buttered onion pilaf and Lemony greens (recipes below). Garnish with thyme.

RECIPE TIPS

EASY BUTTERED ONION PILAF

Heat 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan, add 1 thinly sliced onion, cover, then gently fry for 10 mins until soft, but not coloured. Remove lid, stir in 140g rice (rinsed in cold water first), cook for 1-2 mins, tip in 500ml chicken or lamb stock, then season. Stir, cover, then gently cook for 20 mins. Take off heat, then leave, covered, for 10 mins (or up to 30 mins), then fluff up the grains with a fork. They should be tender and buttery and the onions completely soft.

LEMONY GREENS

Remove any thicker stalks from 1 head spring greens or ½ Savoy cabbage, then thickly shred the leaves. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the greens, then boil for 3 mins or until just tender and vibrant. Drain, then toss with a squeeze lemon juice, a drizzle olive oil and plenty of black pepper.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2009

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?1 star out of 52 stars out of 53 stars out of 54 stars out of 55 stars out of 5

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

CommentQuestionTip

Overall rating

A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.23 ratings

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access

Get 3 months of Good Food All Access for just £6. Find triple-tested recipes that take the stress out of deciding what to cook, spend less time planning, and more time enjoying the season.

Subscribe now