Rack of Lamb Persillé is a classic dish that features a parsley crust. We’re going to enhance our version by substituting the shank, and by adding a mint pesto.
Ingredients:
- 1 Lamb Shank, 16-24 oz.
- 1 egg, separated
- Salt and Pepper, as desired
- Mint Pesto, enough to coat–approx 2 Tablespoons (see recipe below)
- Dijon mustard, 2 Tablespoons, enough to coat
- Fresh Parsley, 1/2 oz.
- Plain Bread crumbs, 1 cup
Mint Pesto
- Fresh mint leaves, 1 oz
- fresh garlic, 2 cloves
- grated parmesan, 1 Tablespoon
- walnuts, 1 oz
- salt, pinch
- EVOO , 1/2 cup
- Process all ingredients in blender, preferably, or food processor. Blender will make it finer and smoother.
Processing temperatures start at 135F for this particular cut, as bone-in cuts are typically more resistant to heat penetration. This one we processed in a Ziploc bag @150Fx24 hours. Time results may vary, so always be prepared to utilize the pinch test. SV is so forgiving, even if this package went 48 hours, it would still be desirable. After processing, shock the lamb shank (in the bag) in cold water until it reaches 70F, and then refrigerate until it reaches 40F.
Put a ziploc bag in a 12 oz drink glass, and the lamb in a baking pan that fits. I used glass here, but you don’t have to. Glass breaks, it’s just what I ended up having at arms reach. Such is everyday cooking.
Separate one egg, and put the yolk in the ziploc bag. It will be used for aioli, hollandaise, any number of things. Squeeze a little lemon juice on it and close the bag. It will keep for a good while if refrigerated.
Spread the egg white ALL over the lamb, coating well. A pastry brush works good for this, as do clean hands.
The egg white does a terrific job of making the salt and pepper stick to the surface, so use sparingly
Into the 350F oven for 1 hour.
There are many ways to assemble this crust, but I decided to use MintoPesto (see recipe), as mint is a familiar accompaniment to lamb. I used Dijon mustard, but whatever mustard you like will do just fine, even dry English that has been mixed thin.
Grind some plain bread crumbs with the parsley. This avoids the chore of chopping by hand.
Paint the lamb on one side with the mint pesto.
Then, paint the paint with the mustard.
Then, sprinkle with the crumb mixture. The oil in the pesto will moisten the crumbs.
After about 10 more minutes in the oven, you get a nice uniform brown crust.
Roasted Garlic, Kosher Crusted Potatoes, Roasted Fennel, Demi
This time, I just carved some and served with a little grilled eggplant, sort of a Mediterranean version.
Lamb Shank Persillé – What’s not to love?
This makes me hungry even if I just ate.
