Rolled legs of lamb with garlic and pancetta
Serves 8
Cooking time about 1hour and 20 minutes
2 x boneless whole legs of lamb (each weighing 800g-1.1kg)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bulb garlic
30g fresh rosemary
150g pancetta
- Preheat the oven to 180C, gas mark 4. Remove the strings from both legs of lamb and open the joints out so that they lie skin-side down. You may need to cut them so they will open flat. Rub the joints with oil and season generously.
- Separate the garlic cloves, peel and place in a food processor with the leaves of half the rosemary. Whizz until finely blended but not smooth, and rub half of this into each leg. Scatter 75g of pancetta over each, the roll the joints back up and tie with cooking string. Thread the remaining rosemary sprigs between the string and season.
- Place the lamb in a large roasting tin and cook according to the instructions on the pack (allowing 25 minutes per 500g, plus 25 minutes for medium.) Carefully lift the joints onto a carving board, cover with foil and allow to rest in a warm place for 5-10 minutes. Carve and serve with either gravy, mint sauce and vegetables.
Fresh mint sauce
Preparation time 10 minutes
In a small bowl, mix together 75ml red wine vinegar, 25g caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Finely chop the leaves of 40g fresh mint and 1 small red onion, then stir into the vinegar.
Chill until ready to serve.
Citrus baby potatoes
Put 1kg baby new potatoes in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly, then toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, the grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon and salt. Serve hot.
Green beans and peas with pine nuts.
Place 50g unsalted butter in a small pan and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until it turns golden brown, but take care not to burn it. Meanwhile, cook 600gm fresh green beans, trimmed in a large pan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Add 300g frozen peas and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a serving dish. Pour over the butter and 45g toasted pine nuts. Gently toss together, season and serve.
An alternative dish for Vegetarians
Oven-baked Mushroom and Chestnut risotto
Overnight soaking needed if dried chestnuts used.
This is a well-favoured and good-natured dish which will keep warm happily till it is needed and adapt well for large numbers.
100g dried chestnuts soaked overnight or 200g vacuum pack of cooked chestnuts
900ml hot vegetable stock
75g butter or 3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
350g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
350g risotto rice
Sprigs of thyme
Salt and pepper
Unless you are using the ready-cooked chestnuts, first, cook the soaked chestnuts in some of the stock for about 20-30 minutes, until tender. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 2/300F/150C.
Melt the butter or heat the oil with the quartered mushrooms (cut them smaller if they are huge). Add the rice and stir until it has absorbed the fat…
Add the chestnuts and the hot stock and thyme and bring it all to the boil. Put the casserole uncovered into the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes, keeping an eye in case it needs a little more stock. The rice should be tender but not mushy and all the stock absorbed. Taste, season and serve.
(The recipe is from Christian Aid’s new book by Sarah Stancliffe, The Christian Aid Book of Simple Feasts, Canterbury Press Norwich 2007
And then for a delicious pudding to finish off the meal.
Baked chocolate cheesecake
Best made the day before.
200g Fairtrade stem ginger biscuits
60g butter, melted
150g dark Fairtrade cooking chocolate
750g mascarpone
125g light brown muscovado sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
3 large eggs, beaten
Cocoa powder, to dust
Mini eggs, to decorate
- Pre-heat the over to 180C, gas mark 4. Line the base of a 23cm non-stick spring-form cake tin. Place the biscuits in a strong plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Tip the crumbs into a large bowl and stir in the melted chocolate until evenly mixed.
- Place the crumb mixture in the prepared tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon and chill for 5-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, gently melt the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth, then set aside until cooled but still liquid.
- Place the mascarpone, sugar and cornflour in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Whisk in the cooled chocolate and eggs, then spoon into the tin. Level the surface, place on a baking sheet and cook for 55-60 minutes – the cheesecake will still feel wobbly, but it will set further as it cools.
- Turn off the over, open the door and leave the cheesecake to cool completely. Chill until ready to serve. Dust with cocoa powder and decorate with mini eggs.