Thursday, August 25, 2011

Anniversary dinner

For those of you who've been living under a rock, it was my wedding anniversary yesterday.
So, last night, I decided to make mustard crusted rack of lamb, hasselback potatoes and roasted asparagus. This is significant for a reason - the dinner at our wedding reception was mustard crusted rack of lamb. Off the top of my head, I cannot remember what the sides for it were, but I do remember the lamb. And last nights was pretty damned close, if slightly over cooked.

Hasselback potatoes

  • garlic - 1 clove per person
  • butter - 1 tablespoon for 2 people
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 large potato per person


  1. Make a garlic butter from softened butter and minced garlic. Season well
  2. Peel each potato. Cut in half lengthways. 
  3. Place flattened side of the potato on the chopping board. Along the length of the potato, cut into the potato to around 3mm from the base, around 3mm apart.
  4. Rub the garlic butter into the top of the potatoes, attempting to get the butter into cuts.
  5. Bake for ~45 minutes in a moderate (180C or 350F) oven.


Mustard crusted rack of lamb

  • 1 lamb rack - 4 bones for on each - per person
  • 1 tablespoon of English mustard per rack
  • bread crumbs
  • Olive oil for cooking
  • Salt and pepper to season
  1. For each person, prepare a 4 rib rack of lamb. These should be Frenched. Season well, and brown fat side first in a large oven proof frying pan (I used my trustworthy cast iron frying pan).
  2. Remove the racks from the frying pan, rub English mustard over the now browned fat. Pat breadcumbs onto the mustard.
  3. Return to pan, and place on the top shelf of the oven.
  4. Cook until the potatoes are also done
Baked asparagus
  • 4 fresh asparagus spears per person
  • oil
  • salt to taste
  1. Place asparagus into an oven proof dish or frying pan (again, I used my trustworthy cast iron frying pan - this time, the medium sized one)
  2. Coat well with olive oil (I used a lemon infused one) and season
  3. Place on bottom shelf of oven for the last ten minutes of cooking time