Easter Sunday was always my family’s first taste of spring lamb (after we had the one made of angel food cake for breakfast), and Mamie would always pick the simplest recipe (maybe that’s why it was our favorite). Our third “lamb” of the day was actually a rereading of Saint-Exupéry’s “lamb” chapter, in which the Little Prince asks, “Dessine moi un mouton” (draw me a sheep).
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3⁄4 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 racks of lamb (4 ribs each)
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Recipe
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Warm the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and shallots; stir for 10 seconds, add the bread crumbs and parsley, and stir for a minute more. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, and arrange the racks in a baking pan. Pat the crumb mixture onto the meat sides and the fat of the lamb. Cook until a meat thermometer registers 130 degrees (for medium rare). Let the lamb stand for 5 minutes before carving. Cut the racks between bones into individual chops, 2 per person. Serve with peas.