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  • 1 lamb crown
    made from two French-trimmed racks of lamb (ask your butcher to do this, or see tip below)

For the stuffing

    Method

    • step 1

      To make the stuffing, heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat and cook the shallot for 5 mins until soft. Tip the oil from the anchovies into the pan. Roughly chop the anchovies and add these along with the garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the garlic has softened and the anchovies have started to break down. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.

    • step 2

      Combine the olives, capers, lemon zest and juice, the breadcrumbs, herbs, apricots and pistachios in a bowl, then tip in the shallot mixture and stir to combine. Season. Bring together with your hands – if it’s too dry, add the rest of the oil. It will be slightly loose, but should stick together when squeezed.

    • step 3

      Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Season the lamb all over and cover the exposed bones with foil to prevent them burning. Pack the centre of the crown with the stuffing, then cover with a disc of foil. If you can’t fit all the stuffing into the crown, spoon the rest into an ovenproof dish and bake alongside the lamb. Roast for 40 mins for rare, or until the internal temperature reaches 55C on a meat thermometer. (Or, roast for 50 mins for medium or 55 mins for well done.)

    Make your own lamb crown

    • Place the racks of lamb on a board with the bone tips facing up (the curved side of the bone should also be facing up).

    • Cut an incision approximately 2cm deep between each rib, then score a 1cm-deep line all the way across the ribs lengthways, just beneath the bones (this is to help you tie the racks together).

    • Cover a can or small jar with a food bag or similar and place this on a baking tray. Wrap the lamb racks around the can, with the scored side facing out, then tie the racks together by placing a piece of kitchen string into the scored line you cut earlier. Wrap the string around twice, tie it together to secure, then remove the can from the centre – the lamb racks should hold together in a crown shape. If you need to hold them together more firmly, you can wrap another piece of string just below the bone (about 1-2cm above the scored line).

    Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2022

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    A star rating of 4.7 out of 5.3 ratings
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