A roast rack of Karoo lamb is just the right dish to prepare on Heritage Day. This dish maybe time consuming to prepare but the result is an amazingly delicious dish which is well worth the effort.

To keep within the heritage theme, serve this meal with a uniquely South African Pinotage. The Arniston Bay Pinotage 2008 is a well balanced wine with vanilla tones and savoury flavours. This wine is a great match for the South African Karoo lamb.

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

• 2 racks of lamb, 600 – 800 g each, trimmed
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoons  salt
• 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Fresh rosemary, thyme, or lavender sprigs

Directions

1. Prepare the racks of lamb at least 1 hour (or up to 4 hours) before cooking: Chop together the garlic, salt, rosemary, and pepper to make a coarse rub. Rub the racks with the mixture, cover, and set aside. (If you are not going to cook them within 2 hours, refrigerate, then bring to room temperature an hour before cooking.)
2. Preheat oven to 220° C. Heat a roasting pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Pat the racks of lamb dry with paper towels and coat lightly with the olive oil. Place the racks flesh-side down in the pan. Roast 15 to 20 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 65° C for medium rare
3. Transfer the racks to a carving board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice between the ribs to separate the chops for serving. Garnish with the fresh herb sprigs

Source: realsimple