Have you got guests coming for dinner this Easter? Looking for something with a little more inspiration than your typical Sunday roast?
Fret not, we’ve got you covered.
Celebrate the season in good fashion with this delicious three course meal including carrot soup and traditional lamb roast with potatoes, followed by a glorious rhubarb crumble to round things off.
So preheat the oven, set the table and serve up this fantastic recipe for all the family.
Starter – Carrot Soup
Preparation and cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup thick cream
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 pounds diced carrots
1 tbsp. ground or grated ginger
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Method:
Begin by heating a tablespoon of olive oil in a large-sized saucepan over a medium-high temperature.
Next, add in your sliced onion and blend until soft (this should take around 5 minutes). Stir in your carrots, broth, ginger, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Once the mix has reached boiling point, turn down the hob and allow the soup to simmer for 20 minutes, until the carrots are nice and soft. Allow to cool for a further 10 minutes.
Now that the soup has cooled down, use a blender to begin liquidising in small batches until you are left with a smooth mixture. Return to the saucepan and reheat.
Whilst the soup is warming up again, whisk half a cup of cream thoroughly. Place any leftover salt and the chopped dill into the cream and beat one more time.
Serve up the starter among your best china bowls and add your finished dill cream on top for a tantalisingly tasty flavour.
Main Course – Roast Leg Of Lamb Served With Boulangère Potatoes
Preparation and cooking time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1tsp. salt
1tsp. pepper
3 sliced onions
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 leg of lamb (on the bone)
325ml heated chicken stock
1.5kg potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
Method:
To kick things off, preheat your oven to 220°C (Gas Mark 7).
Whilst the cooker warms up, heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the onions until they soften. Thinly slice your potatoes and rinse with cold water.
Next, grab a large roasting tin (to fit the size of the leg of lamb) and place a bottom layer of sliced potatoes and onions, seasoned with ground black pepper and salt.
Pour 300ml of hot stock into the tin and set to one side.
With a small, sharp kitchen knife, make a series of deep incisions over the leg of lamb and stuff using 2 cloves of garlic.
Position a rack over the potatoes in the tin and sit the lamb above. Roast the food at a high temperature for 20 minutes, then decrease to around 180°C and roast for anywhere between 1 hour 15 – 1 hour 35, depending on how rare or well done you prefer your meat.
Remove the meal from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes. Carve the lamb and dish up across a number of plates, generously serving your delicious Boulangère potatoes alongside.
Dessert – Rhubarb Crumble
Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
50ml cold water
100g caster sugar
100g cubed butter
200g plain white flour
125g brown/demerara sugar
500g rhubarb, trimmed and sliced into small pieces
Method:
Start by preheating the oven to around 180°C (gas mark 4).
Place your rhubarb in a deep oven dish and splash with cold water and caster sugar.
Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, carefully breaking up any lumps, and introduce your butter. Rub together with your fingertips until the combination begins to crumb. Stir in the demerara sugar.
Sprinkle the crumble fusion over the rhubarb and bake for around 35-40 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Serve piping hot with cream or ice cream for an even more delectable flavour.
That’s our advice for Easter dinner, but if you have any great ideas for recipes this season then please feel free to share them with us over on the Ovenu Facebook page.
Image Credits
Roast lamb image courtesy of Bigstock