Rosemary-Dijon Roasted Rack of Lamb

SERVES 6 After the winter, when we spend a lot of time focusing on our lambs and making sure any animals who aren’t born strong get nursed well, the spring feels like a good time to celebrate our flock’s strength. Every year after our first harvest, we remember why we chose Navajo-Churro sheep: The breed is a natural chef’s choice because it has good lamb flavor without tasting overly gamey.

Lamb cooks quickly and evenly and is naturally packed with flavor. Rack of lamb is, perhaps counter-intuitively, something I think of as a fast, easy dinner. Even when you french the bones and dress it up with mustardy, herbpacked bread crumbs, like I do here, your work is done before the oven’s finished heating. If you’ve never frenched lamb, you can always have a butcher do this for you. To do it yourself: Make a cut through the layer of fat that covers the meat, running perpendicular to the bones about 4 inches from their tips, across the entire length of the rack. Cut and peel away the fat that covers the bones. Then, using a small, sharp knife, cut away the fat and tissue between each bone.

—Mary Heffernan

• 2 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) racks of lamb, frenched (or not)

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup plain bread crumbs

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh rosemary (or thyme or sage)

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place the lamb on a baking sheet and season all sides with salt and pepper. Turn the racks fat side up.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, olive oil, rosemary, Dijon, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper until evenly moist. Pat half of the mixture in an even layer over one of the racks, covering all of the lamb except the bones and tossing any crumbs that escape back on top. Repeat with the remaining mixture and the second rack of lamb.

Roast the lamb for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bread crumbs are evenly brown and the meat registers 125°F for medium-rare or 135°F for medium on an instant-read thermometer. Let the lamb rest for 10 minutes, then cut the rack into chops and serve them topped with the crispy bread crumbs.