How to cook rack of lamb in oven bag

Cook the perfect rack of lamb in a roasting bag.

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The secret to delicate-tasting lamb lies in the cooking time, temperature and marinade. Cooking in an oven-roasting bag helps ensure the lamb stays moist, and it enhances your lamb roast's full favor.

This self-basting process eliminates the need for additional fat or oil, resulting in lower-calorie cooking. Oven bags also lessen mess and clean-up because you just have to place vegetables and flavorings inside the bag. Plus, they help cut cooking time, making them an energy-efficient preparation method.

• Leg or rack of lamb

• Large oven-roasting bag ($13, Amazon.com)

• Fresh mint

• Fresh rosemary

• Fresh thyme

• Garlic cloves

• Salt

• Pepper

• Olive oil

1. Preheat the Oven

Pre-heat the oven to the recommended temperature indicated on the roasting-bag manufacturer's package instructions. Typically, this is around 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Prep the Veggies

Wash and cut your vegetables (you can use potatoes and onions) into quarters. Set them aside.

3. Prep the Lamb

Place the lamb on a clean cutting area. Rub the lamb's surface with a mixture made from spices of your choice. Try chopped fresh mint, rosemary and thyme leaves, minced garlic cloves, olive oil and a sprinkling of pepper and sea salt.

Tip

Rubbing the lamb with olive oil before roasting helps prevent leaner lamb cuts from drying out during the cooking process.

4. Bake the Lamb in the Oven Bag

Put the seasoned lamb into a large oven bag. Set it in a large roasting pan and add the cut vegetables.

Seal the bag, place the roasting pan in the oven and follow the suggested cooking time recommended on the bag manufacturer's package directions.

5. Let the Lamb Rest

Take the lamb from the oven at the end of the allotted cooking time. When done, the lamb's internal temperature should be 160 degrees F — and you can check this using a food thermometer.

Carefully cut open the oven bag, using scissors, to avoid a burn from released steam. Remove the lamb from the bag, place it on a serving platter and allow it to sit for 15 minutes, covering it with foil to keep it warm.

6. Place the Veggies Back Into the Oven

Turn the oven off and place the roasting pan back in the oven for the 15-minute waiting period. This keeps the vegetables warm and allows them to crisp around the edges.

7. Serve

Remove the vegetables from the oven and place them, along with some attractive garnish such as fresh mint, around the lamb on the serving platter.

You can pour the hot lamb roasting juices from the oven bag into a separate serving bowl to serve as a stock for drizzling over the meat and vegetables.