Apricot Glazed Racks

Trim outer fat from lamb. Heat and stir remaining ingredients together until fairly smooth. Place lamb in a baking pan with shallow sides. Generously brush with glaze. Roast, uncovered, in a 400°F (200°C) oven, basting often, turning after 10 minutes. Roast about 25 minutes for medium rare.

Yield: 4 servings

Rack of Lamb with Orange and Ginger Sauce

Prepare rack for roasting. Rub with thyme and brush with mustard. Let stand 20 minutes or longer: racks may be prepared to this point early in the day. Roast in preheated, moderately hot oven (375°F/190°C) until desired internal temperature is reached or cook on a preheated grill, turning the rack several times during cooking: cooking time about 20 minutes for rare. Combine marmalade, ginger and brandy in a small pot and heat gently. Brush rack with mixture at the end of the cooking time and just before serving. Garnish with strips of orange peel or an orange twist.

Yield: 2 portions

Rack of Lamb with Roaster Pepper Crust

An attractive coating of roasted pepper and parsley complements the mild flavour of pink juicy lamb.

To roast pepper, broil about 4" (10cm) from heat, turning often, until blistered and charred on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Place in a paper bag or invert a bowl over top on cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Strip off skin, scoop out core and seeds; cut into quarters. Place pepper in food processor with parsley, butter, mustard, lemon juice, shallots, rosemary and peppercorns. Process until finely chopped into a sort of paste. (This can be made ahead up to 1 day, covered and refrigerated.)

Cover the racks with a liberal coating of the pepper paste and roast uncovered in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 15 minutes for medium.

Rack of New Zealand Lamb with Crumb Crust

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 Rack of New Zealand Lamb
• 2 tablespoons Parsley, fresh
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried
• 1 Large Clove Garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, Extra Virgin
• 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs, Fresh
• 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:
Combine parsley, thyme, garlic, olive oil and breadcrumbs. Season lamb on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear the meat side of the rack over high heat until it is brown. Remove from fire and paint the meat side with mustard and press on breadcrumb mixture. Return to grill and place rack bone side down. If using a gas grill, reduce heat to medium. If using charcoal, place rack in cooler part of the grill. Grill 10 to 15 minutes. Just before serving, turn rack so breadcrumbs brown.

Suggested side dishes:
Garlic Basil Mashed Potatoes. Quick Cuisine: add pesto from the refrigerated section of your supermarket to mashed potatoes.

Cranberry Glazed Baby Carrots. Quick Cuisine: add supermarket cran-raspberry glaze to sautéed baby carrots.

Cutlet Dip for New Zealand Lamb

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 4 New Zealand Lamb Cutlets, trimmed

For the Glaze:

• 1 tablespoon (15ml) Tomato Ketchup
• 2 tablespoons (30ml) Worchestershire Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon (205ml) French Mustard
• 2 tsp (10ml) Lemon Juice
• 6 tablespoons (90ml) Mayonnaise
• Whole Radish, Carrot, Cucumber and Celery Sticks to accompany the Cutlets
• Tortilla Chips, optional

Method:
Preheat the grill, arrange the cutlets on the grill pan. Blend together the tomato ketchup with the jam, Worchestershire sauce, mustard and lemon juice. Brush the glaze over the cutlets and grill for 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Turn cutlets again and turn into a small bowl. Arrange the cutlets around the bowl with whole radish, carrot, celery, cucumber sticks and tortilla chips, so that all the ingredients can be dipped into the sauce.

Hints and Tips:
Kids will love this way of eating cutlets but make sure there are plenty of paper napkins on hand. When the weather is fine try cooking these cutlets on the barbecue.

Honey Mustard New Zealand Lamb Cutlets

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 New Zealand Lamb Cutlets
• 3 teaspoons (15 ml) Honey Mustard
• 1 1/2 ounces (40 g) Porridge Oats
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Sesame Seeds
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Freshly Chopped Mint

For the sauce:

• 7 ounces (200 g) Creamy Fromage Frais
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Freshly Chopped Mint
• 2 Spring Onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) Paprika Pepper.

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas Mark 6. Trim the ends of the cutlets to expose the bone and spread honey mustard over the meat. Put the oats, sesame seeds, seasoning and mint onto a plate and press the cutlets in the mixture so they are completely coated. Arrange on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes until just tender. Meanwhile, mix the fromage frais with the mint and the spring onions and add almost all the paprika pepper. Turn it into a bowl and sprinkle the top with the remaining paprika, and garnish with a sprig of mint, if available. Serve as a dipping sauce for the cutlets.

Hints and Tips:
Fry the cutlets, if preferred: heat 1 tablespoon (15ml) oil in a pan, add the cutlets and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and tender. Greek yogurt makes a good substitute for fromage frais.