Darina Allen's Easter feast: How to make the perfect roast lamb with all the trimmings

Gather round the table this Easter and enjoy your best ever Easter feast, created by Darina Allen 

Darina Allen shares her go-to recipes for roast lamb with mint sauce, glazed carrots, potato dauphinoise and a rhubarb crumble tart to finish.

Roast leg of spring lamb with sea salt and mint sauce

recipe by:Darina Allen

Young spring lamb is sweet and succulent and needs absolutely no embellishment apart from a dusting of salt and pepper and a little fresh mint sauce — made from the first tender sprigs of mint from the cold frame in the kitchen garden.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 55 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 5 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 leg of Spring lamb

• Maldon or Irish Atlantic sea salt and freshly ground pepper

• For the gravy:

• 600ml (1 pint) lamb or chicken stock

• A little roux

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• For the garnish:

• Sprigs of fresh mint and parsley

• Mint Sauce

Method

1. If possible ask your butcher to remove the aitch bone from the top of the leg of lamb so that it will be easier to carve later, then trim the knuckle end of the leg. Season the skin with salt and freshly ground pepper. Put into a roasting tin.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Roast for 1-1¼ hours approximately for rare, 1¼ –1½ hours for medium and 1½-1¾ hours for well done, depending on size.

3. When the lamb is cooked to your taste, remove the joint to a carving dish. Rest the lamb for 10 minutes before carving.

4. Meanwhile make the gravy. Degrease the juices in the roasting tin and add stock. Bring to the boil and whisk in a little roux to thicken slightly.

5. Taste and allow to bubble up until the flavour is concentrated enough. Correct the seasoning and serve hot with the lamb, roast spring onions and lots of crusty roast potatoes.

 

Mint sauce

recipe by:Darina Allen

Mint sauce is easy peasy to make — it takes only minutes. For those who are expecting a bright green jelly, real mint sauce has a slightly dull colour and watery texture but tastes fresh and delicious.

Servings

6

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 25g (1oz) fresh mint, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 110ml (4fl oz) boiling water

• 25ml (1fl oz) white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

1. Put the freshly chopped mint and sugar into a sauce boat. Add the boiling water and vinegar or lemon juice. Allow to infuse for 5–10 minutes, before serving.