Tasty racks of lamb for Easter
At Easter Swedes eat an average of four eggs per person. We eat and give our friends Easter sweets, we decorate our homes with ”påskris” – twigs that are just turning green, with brightly colourerd feathers.
As regards food, lamb has become popular in recent years. Lamb racks are delicious.
Sweden has celebrated Easter since Christianity came here in the 12th century. But today Easter is morfe of a time that is marked by food and getting together.
The tradition of lamb at Easter can be traced back to the Jewish celebrations (the lamb that was sacrificed, blood that was smeared on doors), and also to Christendom (Jesus as the sacrificial lamb). In Syrian cookery lamb and mutton are much more common than beef.
In Sweden, lamb has been on the Easter table for less than a hundred years. At Easter one third of all the lamb that is eaten all year is consumed.
Racks of lamb
4 portions
2 racks of lamb (about 400 gr. each)
5 cloves garlic
2 lemons
1/2 pot rosemary
1 tsp chili flakes, if desired
1 tsp. fennel seeds, if desired
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper
Method:
1. Scrape away membranes and tendons from the bones. Score the fat on the lamb racks in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife.
2. Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Grate the skin of the lemons. Pick the rosemary leaves from the stalks and chop them. Mix everything with the chili flakes and the crushed fennel seeds. Mix in the olive oil and salt.
3. Rub the lamb with the marinade. Start by grilling the meat under the grill until it has a good colour, then transfer it to the oven.
4. Brush the meat with the marinade from time to time while it is cooking. The lamb is ready when it is pink and the inner temperature is 58-60 'C.
5. Grind black pepper over the meat. Let the meat rest for about 5 minutes before carving it between the ribs.
The juice from grilled lemons is a good accompaniment. Cut the lemons in half, grill the cut surface for about 3 minutes. Squeeze the juice over the meat before serving. Small whole grilled potatoes, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots and small red onions are tasty along with the lamb. And so is good sauce.
