Guard of Honour with Salsa Verde and White Bean Mash from Ginger Pig Christmas

Interlacing the bones of two racks of lamb to form a guard of honour looks fancy, but is very easy to do – the ideal dish for a formal New Year’s Eve dinner or another special occasion.

If you can get chunky seven-bone racks of lamb, weighing 600g or so, you can feed 6-8 people with two of them, but if your racks are quite lean, they will only feed 4. You need two racks to form a guard of honour. We like our bean mash a bit rough and ready, as it has a nice texture, but if you prefer it smooth, just blitz it in a high-powered blender, until you get the texture you like.

To get ahead, make the salsa verde earlier in the day. If storing in the refrigerator, bring up to room temperature before serving.

Serves 4-8

Takes 45 minutes

2 racks of lamb, at least 500g each

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the bean mash

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

A pinch of salt

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

3 x 400g (14oz) cans cannellini or haricot beans in water, drained but not rinsed

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the salsa verde

A big handful of dill leaves

Leaves from 5 bushy sprigs of mint

Leaves from 1 bunch of parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon (optional)

1 anchovy fillet from a can, roughly chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons capers in brine, drained

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Prehear the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6, and line a roasting tin with baking paper.

Place a large frying pan over a high heat (or use 2 pans, if necessary). Rub the lamb racks all over with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place both the lamb racks in the hot pan, fat side down, and sear for 2 minutes, or until the gat is golden. Turn over and sear the other side for 1 minute, then stand the lamb so the bones are pointing upwards (holding with tongs if necessary) and sear for another minute. Remove from the pan and transfer to the toasting tin. Arrange the racks of lamb so that the bones stick up and each rack’s bones are pointing at the other’s, then interlace the bones to form a guard of honour.

Place the lamb in the oven and roast for 18-22 minutes for pink meat, depending on the thickness and meatiness of the racks. Remember that the lamb will continue to cook as it rests. Add another 5 or 10 minutes for medium or well-done meat.

While the lamb is roasting, make the mash. Wipe out the pan in which you browned the lamb and return it to the heat. Add the oil, onions and a pinch of salt, and sauté gently until translucent and just beginning to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beans and warm them through, then roughly mash (in the pan if you have a pan-safe masher) to form a rough, chunky mash. Add the extra virgin olive oil and a little water if the mash seems dry. Taste and add more seasoning and oil if necessary, remembering that the salsa verde is salty.

Traditionally, salsa verde is chopped by hand until all the ingredients meld to form a rough sauce, with the oil, vinegar and mustard added last. However, we have had success quickly blitzing everything in a food processor, but be careful not to over-process – salsa verde should not be smooth. Taste the sauce for seasoning and tartness – you are aiming for piquant, tart and fresh. If you want more savoury saltiness, add another half anchovy, finely chopped.

Remove the lamb from the oven and set aside to rest somewhere warm, for 5 minutes. Gently warm the plates. Carve the lamb at the table and serve it and the mash on the warmed plates, with some of the salsa verde spooned over.