At this time of year, food should be at its simplest because the ingredients are so perfect. So how about a rack of British lamb, sprigged with rosemary, seared quickly on both sides in a frying pan and roasted for about 15 minutes so it’s pink inside? For the accompanying vegetables, try the smallest new potatoes you can find, scrubbed and boiled for about 12 minutes and served with melted butter.
A bunch of new season’s carrots should be stewed slowly in the oven with a nut of butter. Add a big handful of fresh peas per person, podded and boiled for less than 10 minutes, with chopped lettuce leaves and spring onion, in the French manner.
If you can’t get fresh peas, frozen petits pois are better than old, Methuselah peas, which taste floury and bitter.
Don’t use the predictable mint sauce, but a nice jar of rosemary or lavender jelly for the latter, put a few sprigs of lavender in the lamb instead of rosemary. Cover everything with parsley.
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Recipe: Tom Aikens's roast leg of lambThe arrival of Spring is an grand time of year for all those who love fresh, seasonal food, with the arrival of all the delicious young vegetables and salads. Tom Aikens shares his recipe for roast lamb.
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How to make rack of lamb with harissa, asparagus and garlic-and-almond sourdough crumbsNow's the time to enjoy British-grown asparagus.
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A mouthwatering recipe for lamb rump with asparagus and broccoliNick Deverell Smith, head chef at The Churchill Arms, shares one of his favourite recipes for lamb.
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Kofta curry with stuffed parathas and cucumber raitaThese curried delights will always be welcome.
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Crusted rack of lamb with nettle-swirled hummusSwirled into hummus and served with roasted rack of lamb or blended into soup, just two of our favourite nettle recipes to try.
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Fragrant lamb tagine with cauliflower couscousPulsed into couscous and served with succulent lamb or mashed with Pecorino, just two of our favourite cauliflower recipes to try.
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Spiced-lamb pizza with roasted purple-sprouting broccoliRoasted and scattered over spiced-lamb pizza or stirred through monkfish pizza, just two of our favourite purple-sprouting broccoli recipes to try.
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Lemon and rosemary leg of lamb with harissa runner beansServed with lemon and rosemary leg of lamb or blended into hazelnut pesto, just two of our runner bean recipes to try.
