Coming home to New Zealand after 9 months away has made me really appreciate the amazing produce this country has to offer. Angus beef, Bluff oysters, Central Otago Pinot Noir, and flat white coffees - these are just some of the delicious foods and drinks I’ve missed. Arriving in Wellington on Christmas day, I was greeted by beautiful blue skies and a sparkling turquoise harbour.
Being a family of foodies, on the ride home I was asked what was the one thing I really wanted to eat during my stay. I said lamb rack, of course. New Zealand lamb is famous around the world and the rack is the best cut - tender and flavourful.
A few days later my Dad brought home a couple of lamb racks and asked me to cook dinner. I wanted to make full use of Mum’s herb garden so I used rosemary to flavour the lamb, fresh mint in the Tzatziki, basil in the tomato salad, and parsley in the four beans salad. Tzatziki is an excellent accompaniment to lamb in the summer months, as the yoghurt and mint gives the whole dish a fresh, spring-like feel.
Rosemary and Garlic Lamb Rack with Tzatziki
1 rack of New Zealand lamb
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon rosemary, roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
What to do
Preheat oven to 180°C (or 350°F).
Combine garlic, rosemary and olive oil in a small bowl. Make small slits in top of lamb rack and insert garlic and rosemary mix into slits. Rub rest of mixture all over the lamb, season with salt and pepper, and leave to marinate for 10mins.
Heat grill pan on high for 5mins, then brown lamb rack on all sides including ends for at least a minute each side. Transfer to oven dish and roast for 20mins for medium rare or until the meat feels firm but still springs back when pressed.
Rest lamb rack for at least 10mins before cutting into individual cutlets.
Tzatziki Ingredients
1 cucumber, peeled and deseeded
1 cup Greek-style yoghurt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon mint, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt & pepper
What to do
Pour yoghurt into cheesecloth ? and let stand for 10mins to strain excess liquid from yoghurt.
Finely dice cucumber, combine in bowl with salt, and let stand for 5mins. Then squeeze out any excess moisture with your hands.
Combine strained yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, mint, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate before serving.
To accompany the lamb, I chose a bottle of Te Kairanga Runholder 2006 Pinot Noir from Martinborough, New Zealand. Any light and fruity Pinot Noir or Burgundy would go well with this summer lamb dish but this one is a perfect match due to its fresh berry and herb flavours. I also made two simple sides that you can see on the plate - four beans salad with mustard vinaigrette dressing, and tomato and basil salad.
