A crown roast of lamb is as impressive as an entree can get. It is a gorgeous centerpiece for any holiday celebration but easy enough to prepare any time of year.
This is a sponsored post for Whole Foods Market 365. Opinions and recipes are my own.
I’ve prepared this Balsamic Glazed Crown Roast of Lamb Stuffed with Roasted Vegetables for Easter. Lamb is a traditional Easter food enjoyed around the globe. Representing Jesus as the “Lamb of God” this is the perfect symbolic entree for your Easter table.
You may think that lamb is fancy so it must be difficult to prepare, nothing could be further from the truth. Lamb is actually very easy to prepare. You’ll get tender, flavorful results every time. There is no need to marinate this tender cut and it takes just minutes to roast or grill.
Balsamic Glazed Crown Roast of Lamb Stuffed with Roasted Vegetables Recipe
| Servings | people |
- 2 8-bone racks of lamb
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme chopped, plus 8 sprigs for garnishing
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp brown mustard seeds ground mustard seeds work fine
- 1 tsp course kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 2 lbs tri-colored carrots (baby or whole cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 6 shallots peeled and left whole
- 1 garlic head entire head separated into cloves left whole
- 1 red onion medium sized, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 celery stalks ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp fresh chives thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley minced
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 cup Balsamic vinegar
- herbs springs of thyme, oregano, basil, etc.
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Ingredients Lamb Crown
Roasted Vegetables
Balsamic Reduction
| |
- Combine chopped thyme, rosemary, parsley, mustard seeds, pepper, 1/4 cup mustard, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl.
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Lay racks of pork flat on work surface, meaty side up (the inside of the ribs should be facing up). Cut a slit between every rib on the fat side of ribs down to the rib bones, about 2-1/2 inches down from rib ends.
- Wrap kitchen twine around each rib at the base , nearest the meat and pull to create a semicircle (meat side in and fat side out). Tie more twin around the center to hold racks together.
- Brush olive oil on the inside and outside of the lamb crown.
- Press herb and mustard mixture all over lamb chops. Place thyme sprigs into slits.
- Choose roasting method - bundt pan or foil lined roasting pan.
- Bundt pan method: Place the roast in a Bundt pan with the center of the pan coming up through the middle of the roast. Cover exposed bones with aluminum foil.
- Roasting pan method: Place roast in the foil-lined roasting pan. Crumple a large sheet of aluminum foil into a ball and place inside the lamb crown to help maintain crown shape. Cover the exposed bones with aluminum foil.
- Place roast in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Thickly brush lamb crown, inside and out, with balsamic glaze, then return to the oven and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes or until the meat reaches internal temperature of 130 – 135°F for medium rare, 140-145°F for medium-well, 150°F for well. Glaze lamb every 5-10 minutes of additional cooking if you go beyond 130°F.
- Remove from oven and thickly glaze again.
- Transfer roast to a cutting board with a well; tent lightly with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Cut the string away from the roast.
- Place all of the vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
- Add rosemary, olive oil and 1 tablespoon of balsamic glaze.
- Toss to mix thoroughly and evenly coat the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread vegetables onto foil-lined baking sheet.
- Roast until vegetables for 20 minutes. Drizzle with with 2 tbsp of glaze, flip and cook another 10 minutes until fork-tender and lightly caramelized.
- Sprinkle with parsley and chives.
- Place in center of lamb crown and on serving platter.
- Pour vinegar, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs in medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
- The vinegar will reduce down. It is done when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If you want a thicker glaze, cook a little longer.
- Remove from heat, remove fresh herbs with slotted spoon.
- Store in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to a month {if reduction hardens after being in refrigerator for too long just place container in a bowl filled with warm water to heat up the reduction or add a little water to thin it back down}
Don’t be intimidated by the look for a lamb crown. This is all that is required, two lamb racks, kitchen twine, and spices. Whole Foods Market 365 in Akron has a really nice assortment of lamb, including rack lamb. You’ll need two for this recipe.
The roasted vegetables are very easy to prepare as well. You can prepare the vegetables the night before and roast them on Easter Sunday.
The Balsamic Reduction is easy to prepare with just a few simple ingredients. It can be done several days ahead of time, making this recipe easy to prepare on Easter Sunday.
Lamb is a traditional Easter food from around the globe. The lamb represents Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” symbolizing innocence and purity. It is a good reminder on the true meaning of Easter and a decadent choice for the main course. What I like most about lamb is that it is a crowd-pleaser while being incredibly easy and quick to prepare.
I also added a fresh tossed salad and steamed broccolini to complete this Easter Feast. For dessert, I suggest my Naked Carrot Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Caramel Sauce and Fresh Fruit!
This entire traditional Easter Feast was prepared for about $92 and serves 8. The majority of the expense is in the lamb chops, which ran about $34 for two racks at our local Whole Foods Market 365 (a great price for Lamb!). I’d estimate that just the Lamb Crown with vegetables cost about $55.
Stop by our local Whole Foods Market 365 Market to prepare an extraordinary Easter feast for your family for your family and friends.
Whole Foods Market 365
1745 W Market St
Akron, OH 44313