Colm O'Gorman: This Middle Eastern spiced rack of lamb is perfect for sharing
Middle Eastern lamb
I love cooking for a crowd and serving up food that can be shared in the middle of the table so that everyone can pile in and help themselves. It's this kind of meal that gets everyone involved and interacting, which turns a lunch or dinner into a much more social occasion. Middle Eastern food is perfect for this. A great Middle Eastern meal usually involves lots of side dishes and sauces, bread, and pickles. This lovely lamb dish is perfect as the main feature in such a feast. Lamb can be quite a heavy meat, with a deep flavour that is not to everyone’s taste. A rack of lamb though has a delicate flavour and is very tender. The best way to cook it is to sear it in a hot pan and then finish in the oven. It needs to be cooked with a little care and should be served pink. It is an expensive cut of meat, but if you prefer to use a less expensive cut, use lamb chops instead. They will also be delicious.
Serve this rack of lamb with your favourite sides; some hummus and pitta breads or flatbreads and lots of fresh pickles are always good. Aubergine is perfect with lamb, so a spiced aubergine and tomato salad would be perfect. My Banjan Borani, a beautiful Afghan aubergine and tomato dish served on whipped Greek yoghurt would be lovely. You will find that recipe on ieFood.
