Feeding a
crowd doesn’t mean you can’t serve an impressive main everyone will love.
Lemon-and-herb crusted rack of lamb
Pine nuts add a lovely creaminess, and supply
zinc, which balances blood sugar.
Preparation
time: 20 minutes
Cooking
time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
Easy
Lemon-and-herb crusted
rack of lamb
Small bunch
mint, leaves only
Small bunch
chives, finely snipped
Zest and
juice 1/2 lemon
1 small
garlic clove, crushed
2tbsp
toasted pine nuts
3tbsp extra
virgin olive oil
2 racks of
lamb, trimmed of all fat
75g (3oz)
fresh white breadcrumbs
- Heat the oven to 200 C, 180 C fan, 400 F, gas 6. Whizz the herbs,
lemon zest and juice, garlic, pine nuts and oil in a food processor until
coarse. Spread half over the lamb meat, and mix the rest with the
breadcrumbs. Put the racks in a shallow roasting tin, then press the
breadcrumb mixture on top of the herbs. - Place in the oven for 20 to 24 minutes for rare to medium, 25 to 28
minutes for medium to well done (you may need to cover it loosely with
foil after 15 minutes to prevent the crust from browning too much). - Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before
carving. Serve with new potatoes and spring vegetables.
Per
serving: 422 calories, 26g fat (7g saturated), 15g carbohydrate
Pork belly with cider gravy
Fennel seeds flavor the pork with lovely
aniseed and can also aid digestion.
Preparation
time: 20 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration
Cooking
time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Serves 6
Easy
Pork belly with cider
gravy
1.8kg (41b)
boneless pork belly, skin scored
2tsp fennel
seeds, finely crushed
1tsp black
peppercorns, crushed
2 onions,
sliced
6 garlic
cloves, unpeeled and bashed
1tbsp olive
oil
500ml (18fl
oz) chicken or veg stock
250ml (9fl
oz) cider
1tbsp flour
- The day before cooking, place the pork skin side up on a wire rack
over the sink. Pour a kettle of boiling water over the skin. Repeat, then
pat dry. Turn it over; rub on the fennel seeds and peppercorns.
Refrigerate overnight, uncovered and skin side up. - Heat the oven to 150 C, 130 C fan, 300 F, gas 2. Put the onions and
garlic in a roasting tin, add the pork, skin side up, and rub with the oil
and 1/2tsp sea salt. - Pour in the stock and cider and cook for 3 hours. After this time,
strain off the cooking liquid and set aside. Remove the onions and garlic,
place the pork back into the clean roasting tin on a wire rack and heat
the oven to 220 C, 200 C fan, 425 F, gas 7. Roast for a further 30
minutes, until the crackling is crisp. - Strain the cooking juices into a Jug, pressing down on the onions
and garlic. Leave the juices to settle for a minute, then spoon off the
fat, reserving 3tbsp. - Heat the Juices in a pan. Mix the flour with 1tbsp fat, whisk in,
and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Season, adding more flour and
fat mixture if necessary.
Per
serving: 568 calories, 42g fat (15g saturated), 6g carbohydrate
Anchovy lamb with lentils
Add a real depth of flavor to the lamb and up
your omega 3s with anchovies.
Preparation
time: 30 minutes
Cooking
time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Serves 8
Easy
Anchovy lamb with
lentils
100g (4oz)
anchovies
14 garlic
cloves, peeled, cut into slivers
2kg (41/2lb)
leg of lamb
4 sprigs
rosemary
3tbsp
balsamic glaze
2 large
onions, halved and sliced
2tbsp extra
virgin olive oil
350g (12oz)
puy lentils
1tsp
vegetable stock powder
- Heat the oven to 220 C, 200 C fan, 425 F, gas 7 Drain the
anchovies. Halve 12 anchovies widthways; wrap 1 half around 1 garlic
sliver Make 12 x 1cm (1/2in) incisions in the top of the lamb with a sharp
knife. Insert an anchovy-garlic “spike”, then a piece of
rosemary, reserving 4 garlic slivers. Brush half the glaze over the lamb. - Add the remaining anchovies, garlic and glaze to a mortar Pound to
a rough paste and put to one side. Put three-quarters of the onions in a
roasting tin, drizzle over a little olive oil and top with the lamb. Roast
for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven to 170 C, 150 C fan, 325 F, gas 3 and cook
for 1 hour 15 minutes. - Half an hour before the end of roasting time, put the lentils,
remaining onions and 700ml (11/4pt) hot water into a deep pan.
Boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, part-covered, for 25 minutes until
tender. - Once cooked, remove the lamb, cover with foil and rest for 15
minutes. Drain and discard most of the lentil liquid. Add the stock powder
to the lentils over the heat, stirring until dissolved, then add the
anchovy paste and remaining oil. Serve the whole lamb with the lentils
spooned around.
Per serving:
490 calories, 20g fat (7g saturated), 26g carbohydrate