This is made with 2 racks of lamb bent round and sewn together at each end, with bones on the outside and meat on the inside. Each rack consists of 7 or 8 cutlets and is chined (the bone cut through between each cutlet), trimmed of all the skin and some fat, and the meat is cleaned from the bones to about 4 cm from the ends.
Your butcher will prepare a crown roast for you if you ask a day or two ahead. Order it by the number of cutlets, according to how many people you wish to serve; allow 2–3 cutlets per person.
To roast: Cover ends of bones with foil and stand prepared crown roast in a baking dish. Roast in a preheated hot oven 200°C for about 1 hour or until meat juice runs clear when tested with a skewer. If desired, the centre may be filled with stuffing after first 30 minutes’ cooking (see Stuffing). Remove from oven and allow meat to stand for 15 minutes in a warm place while making gravy. When ready to serve, cover ends of each cutlet bone with a paper cutlet frill, and slice meat into double cutlets for serving.