Just in time for Easter, the quintessential thing! You must make this! It fulfills all of the necessary requirements: lamb (means spring to me, how about you?); wonderfully green, minty, herby presentation; ridiculously easy; stunningly delicious. In short everything you need but the bunny.
A persillade is a mixture of chopped parsley (persil in French)and garlic, which I've stretched to include some mint and fresh rosemary. After chatting with my guru Pooh, I added a glaze of red pepper jelly on top which was the perfect "glue" for a nifty coating of persillade mixed with breadcrumbs.
Tender, flavorful, gorgeous. Add some asparagus and some minty roast potatoes and you've got spring on a plate. Just don't forget to save room for that chocolate bunny.
Happy Easter!
Roast Lamb Loin Persillade
serves 6 generously
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped (wash and dry before chopping)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped mint
1 1/2tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
salt and pepper
2 boneless lamb loins (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup red pepper jelly
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Combine parsley, olive oil, garlic, mint, rosemary, lemon zest and salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.
Preheat oven to 425.
Untie and unroll lamb if it's come from the butcher tied. Season the inside of the lamb roasts with salt and pepper and spread the mustard all over the inside of each of the roasts. Divide the herb mixture in half and reservinghalf of it, spreadthe remaining half all over the mustard. Re-roll the lamb and re-tie it with kitchen string. Season the outside of the roasts with salt and pepper.
Put the roasts on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in the middle of the oven forapproximately 30 minutes. In the meantime, combine the reserved half of the herb mixture with the fresh breadcrumbs. When the meat thermometer registers 120 degrees, remove the pan from the oven, and spread the pepper jelly over the top of each roast and heap the breadcrumb mixture on top.
Put back into the oven and cook for approximately 10 more minutes until the crumb crust is slightly brown and the meat thermometer registers 130 degrees.
Remove the roasts from the oven and transfer lamb to a cutting board and let them stand, covered with aluminum foil, for 10 minutes.
Slice lamb about 1/2 inch thick and serve with mint jelly.