Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS

  • for lamb:
  • 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
  • 1 crown of lamb made from two 8-rib racks (about 4 1/2 pounds total)

  • 2 large shallots, chopped

  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock or canned unsalted broth
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

  • for spring vegetables with mint:

  • 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
  • 1 baby carrot bunch, stems trimmed to 1 inch, peeled
  • 1 10-ounce basket pearl onions, peeled
  • 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed, cut crosswise into thirds

  • 3 tablespoons butter

  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

    DIRECTIONS

    To make lamb:
    Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon mustard and 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary in bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place lamb in roasting pan. Rub all over with butter mixture. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. and continue roasting until thermometer inserted into lamb registers 140°F. for medium-rare, about 40 minutes. Transfer lamb to platter; let stand 15 minutes.

    Pour off fat from roasting pan and set pan aside. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over low heat. Add shallots and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary; sauté until shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine to roasting pan and bring to boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Add wine to skillet. Add stock; boil until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon mustard and mint. Season with salt and pepper.

    Spoon vegetables in center of and around roast. Serve, cutting lamb into chops and spooning sauce over.

    To make spring vegetables:
    Place potatoes in vegetable steamer and steam 10 minutes. Add carrots and onions and steam until vegetables are almost tender, about 10 minutes longer. Add asparagus and steam until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes more.

    Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mint and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and stir until vegetables are coated with butter.