I thoroughly enjoy the Sunday roasts so common in this country, and it is certainly the season for it again now. So last Sunday we had the frist roast with roast potatoes for a while, and it was lovely!

I used a half shoulder of Welsh lamb and was actually really pleased with the result. The oven was only on 150C, and I browned it before roasting to give it more flavour, and to get tender meat I rested it for 30 minutes. This left crispy bits on the outside and pink tender meat on the inside.

We also had perfect roast potatoes, red wine sauce with porcini and roasted root veg. A perfect Sunday supper!

Roast shoulder of lamb , serves 2

whole or half shoulder of lamb, bone in. (mine weighed around 800 g)

butter/oil for frying

4 rosemary sprigs

2 whole garlic cloves

a splash of red wine

Season the meat on all sides, don’t be shy with the salt. Brown it in a hot frying pan with the rosemary and garlic in the pan as well as oil/butter. Place it on a wire rack over a tinfoiled-lined roasting tray. Add the wine and place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the meat (not by the bone). Place in 150C oven until it reaches 58C inside. Wrap in tin foil and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Roast potatoes, serves 2

ca 6 large Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut in half

2 tbsp duck or goose fat

salt, white pepper

Place the potatoes in a pan and add biling water just to cover them. Parboil for 5 minutes. Add the fat to a roasting tray and let it heat up in the oven. Place the drained potatoes on the tray and turn to coat them with fat. Season. Roast for about 35 minutes or until crisp and golden in 175-200 C oven.

Red wine sauc with porcini mushrooms, serves 2

a handful dried porcini mushrooms

water

200 ml red wine

meat juices

200 ml single cream

1-2 tsp concentrated beef stock

1 tsp mild chilli sauce, a pinch of sugar or a spoonful jelly

salt, pepper

Cover the mushrooms with water. Squeeze to get rid of excess water, but keep the water. Chop roughly and fry in oil (in a non-stick saucepan) until browned. Add the water from the mushrooms, red wine and meat juices into the pan and let it reduce for 5-10 minutes. Add the other ingredients and season to taste. Bring to the boil and let it thicken slightly before serving.

Roasted root vegetables, serves 2

2 parsnips

2 carrots

a chunk of swede

1/2 red onion

2 sprigs thyme or rosemary

2 tbsp olive oil

salt, pepper

Peel and dice the root vegetables. Peel and cut the onion into wedges. Mix it all in an small roasting tin with the olive oil. Add the herbs/salt and pepper (a lot). Place in 175C oven, preferrably covered with a baking tray not to brown, until soft.