Rack of lamb takes so little time and effort and gives maximum reward. Best to keep it simple - garlic flavoured slow roasted tomatoes, creamy garlic dauphinois potatoes and purple sprouting broccoli cooked for the briefest time are ideal accompaniments. See our recipe for dauphinois - using a steel ring you can cut individual portions as seen here.

Ingredients - serves 4 2 x rack of French trimmed lamb from the butchers' counter (each being 6-7 ribs, about 450g) 10 medium tomatoes 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly sprig of thyme Elianthos olive oil sea salt 500g purple sprouting broccoli salt, pepper

Method

Prepare the tomatoes first as they will take 3 - 4 hours to slow roast. Cut them in half and, with a small sharp knife, cut the core and remove together with the seeds leaving you with tomato cups. Stand them in and oven-proof dish, scatter with slices of garlic and course sea salt and a few thyme leaves. Now fill the cups with olive oil - the oil will be reclaimed at te end of cooking time and tastes fantastic - slow roast at 120°C until shrunken, flat and tinged with colour. Drain the oil off and reserve for future use.

Pre heat the oven to 200°C
Brush the racks with olive oil and brown briefly in a very hot pan, season and transfer to the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on how well done you like your lamb. Rest for 10 minutes in a warm place before carving into individual cutlets.

Trim the purple sprouting broccoli. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook for 2 minutes until barely tender in the stem, drain immediately and toss with a spoon of tomato/garlic oil.

Serve as above, with a further drizzle of tomato flavoured olive oil around the dish.