We’ve somewhat skipped over spring here in the Northeast — on Monday, we celebrated Memorial Day with blue skies and temperatures in the 80s. Not that I’m complaining that winter FINALLY seems to be over, but I do feel like my food calendar is slightly off this year. It’s normally a gradual transition into more spring-y fresh veggies and lighter dishes, but I’m already looking forward to summertime grilling and lots of fresh fruit.

Lamb is one of my favorite springtime dishes, so I decided to hold on to the season just a little longer by making a lovely herb crusted rack of lamb for dinner. Rack of lamb can be pricey, but it’s totally worth it for a special dinner, especially if you dress up the richness with some fresh herbs.

The herb crust comes together quite easily in the food processor — just a few quick whirs turn basil, breadcrumbs, garlic, herbs de Provence, cheese, mustard, and olive oil into a beautiful coat for the lamb. Be sure to take a moment to breathe in the gorgeous smell of all those ingredients when you take the lid off of your food processor!

My favorite part of this recipe is packing the herb crust around the rack of lamb — it’s like wrapping it up in a pretty green blanket! You want a nice even layer covering every visible part of the meat, and then into the oven it goes. For a medium-rare lamb, I roast it for about 25 minutes at 425 F. That’s all it takes for this showstopping dish, which means you’ll have plenty of time to toss some potatoes in the oven for a side, AND open up a nice bottle of red to go with it all.

Recipe followed precisely as written from Bon Appetit: Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb