We Britons just adore spring lamb, don’t we?
It’s not surprising we love it so much, as it’s the most deliciously tender lamb you’ll get in the whole year, fed on freshly grown, new grass.
So, it’s important that we do the right things with this wonderful meat to ensure we bring out all its mouth-watering flavour. Here are a few of our suggestions for dishes to make the most of spring lamb season:
Rack of lamb – Few things are more impressive than a beautifully cooked rack of lamb! Serve it with asparagus tips, spring greens, and a salsa verde for added spring-like punch. Rub the meat in a marinade of garlic, honey, lemon zest, and olive oil. Top tip – Get your butcher to French trim the rack of lamb to make it look its most appealing.
Lamb chops – The perfect cut for a one-pan roast with potatoes, cherry tomatoes on the vine, whole garlic cloves, rosemary sprigs, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Top tip – You only need to add the cherry tomatoes for around five minutes, just until their skins start to split, before serving.
Lamb shank – Alongside the classic braised or roasted lamb shank, which are such a joy to eat, try using lamb shank meat in a lamb shank, pea, and mint pie made with rosemary, thyme, and white wine. Top tip – Spend ten minutes ensuring you brown your lamb shank all over using oil in the roasting tin on the hob over a high heat before braising it slowly in the oven. That ensures you get the best-looking results.
Loin of lamb – We adore this cut of lamb with roasted rosemary potatoes and a red wine gravy. Top tip – Make sure there’s a thin layer of fat on your loin pieces then cook for a few minutes in a hot pan until the fat is rendered, using tongs to push them down and caramelise them. Then, cook in the oven for five to seven minutes until just cooked. Keep warm while you make your gravy and serve with your roasted potatoes. Bliss!
Leg of lamb – A classic Easter dish, a roasted leg of lamb with rosemary gravy is a family favourite for any get together. Top tip – Always remove your leg of lamb from any packaging and weigh it yourself before you start to get the correct roasting time.
Greek lamb salad – Marinade lamb steaks in olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano before cooking on a hot griddle. Leave them to rest for a few minutes, then cut into thick slices. Serve with the classic Greek salad combination of tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and olives. Add mint leaves to bring out the best in the lamb.
Navarin of lamb – Combine fillets of spring lamb with baby spring vegetables for a fresh, delicious meal. Cut the fillets into pieces that are the thickness of a finger and fry them for just two or three minutes on each side, depending on whether you want rare or medium. Top tip – Place your pieces like the points on a clock face, starting at 12, to keep track of which pieces will need turning first.
However you choose to cook your spring lamb, we hope you enjoy this seasonal treat. Take a look at some of the dishes we create with lamb in our sample menus.
