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As we have 3 Bank Holidays this month I thought you might be entertaining and I would provide 2 recipes that I cooked when entertaining myself at Easter and which were both very well received.

LAMB KLEFTIKO – Serves 6 – 8

a 2.5kg. bone in leg of lamb
6 garlic cloves
2 tsp. sea salt (ordinary salt will do)
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 tsp. gd. cinnamon
2 tbsps. olive oil
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

For the traybake:

1 kg. waxy potatoes, cut into wedges
2 red onions cut into wedges
2 large red peppers, cut into wedges
4 medium or large tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 tbsps. olive oil
3 bay leaves
1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
2 tbsps. capers

1. Score the fat of the lamb.  Crush the peeled garlic with the salt using a pestle and mortar, add the zest and cinnamon and pound to a paste.  Add the olive oil and combine, seasoning with black pepper.  Brush the mustard over the lamb and rub the paste into the meat.  Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
2. Remove the lamb from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.  Preheat the oven to 160C, fan 140C, gas mark 3.  Put the vegetables in a large roasting tin and drizzle over the oil.  Toss to coat and nestle in the bay leaves and halved garlic bulb.  Squeeze over the juice from the 2 lemons.  Sit the lamb on top of the vegetables and cover the tin with foil making sure its well sealed round the rim.  Roast for 4 hours.
3. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 220C, fan 200C, gas mark 7.  Remove the foil and stir the capers into the vegetables.  Return to the oven uncovered for 15 – 20 minutes until the lamb has browned.
4. Lift the lamb from the tin and cover loosely with foil to rest for about 15 minutes.  Carve the lamb and serve it with the vegetables.
5. Serve with a Greek salad if desired – 600g. vine tomatoes cut into wedges, 1 red onion finely sliced, 1 green pepper, sliced, 1 large cucumber (cut in 1/2, seeds removed and cut into half moons), 75g. pitted black olives, 3 tbsps. olive oil, 2 tbsps. red wine vinegar, 1 x 200g. pack feta drained and cubed, 2 tsps. dried herbs.

TIPS

Although it seems quite a lot of work to prepare this, once it is in the oven you can go out for 4 hours.  We found it delicious.  If you don’t want to make a Greek salad you could always cook a green vegetable e.g. broccoli or kale, to give another colour to the food.  There were plenty of leftovers, enough cold for the following day, and a doggy bag for my friend to take home.

SPICED SALMON WITH TRAYBAKED SAG ALOO

1 kg. flour potatoes such as Maris Piper
olive oil for roasting
1 tsp.turmeric
2 tsps. gd. cumin
1 tsp.chilli flakes
200g. spinach
1 x 500g. salmon fillet
2 tbsps. tandoori or tikka spice paste~
100 mls. double cream
lemon wedges to serve

1. Heat the oven to 200C,  180C fan, gas mark 6.  Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling water for 6 minutes.  Drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for a few minutes.  Toss the potatoes in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp. oil, the turmeric, ground cumin and chilli flakes and plenty of seasoning.  Roast for 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.  Boil the kettle.
2. Put the spinach in a colander and pour over boiling water until wilted.  Use the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze out most of the water.  Rub the salmon generously with the spice paste and drizzle with oil.  Stir the spinach through the potatoes and top with the salmon, skin side down.  Increase the heat to 220C, 200C fan, gas mark 7.  Return to the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until the salmon is just cooked.  Remove the salmon to stir the cream into the potatoes, replace the salmon and serve with lemon wedges.

TIPS

I cooked the salmon on a separate baking tray as I thought it might break up if lifted to stir in the cream, it also made it easier to serve.  I also added cauliflower florets to the potato and spinach mixture at the start of the cooking time, broccoli would also be good, to give more vegetables. We all thought it was a lovely recipe.   

PEA AND CELERIAC CRUSTED FISH PIE

Serves 4

300g. floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm. pieces
1 small celeriac (600-650g.) peeled and cut into 2cm. pieces
4 eggs
400g. frozen garden peas
about 330mls. whole milk
2 fresh bay leaves
400g. pack Frozen Fish Pie Mix, defrosted
180g. Raw King Prawns
20g. unsalted butter
20g. plain flour
1 unwaxed lemon, zest of all, juice of 1/2
75g. reduced fat creme fraiche

1. Put the potatoes and celeriac in a large saucepan of salted water. Cover and bring to the boil and cook simmering for 15 minutes. Carefully put the eggs on top, cover and boil for a further 7 – 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water. Add the peas to the pan, cover and bring to the boil. Drain and steam dry for 5 minutes, then mash with 30mls. of milk. Season and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, put the bay leaves, fish pie mix and prawns in a large frying pan. Pour over the remaining 300mls, of milk, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly then transfer the fish to a plate using your slotted spoon. Strain the milk into a measuring jug. You want 300mls. of liquid so top up if necessary. Preheat oven to 180C, gas mark 4.

3. For the sauce, melt the butter in a pan and when melted add the flour and stir to make a paste. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the poaching milk until combined. Simmer for a few minutes until bubbling and thickened. Mix in the lemon juice and zest and creme fraiche. Season.

4. Peel the eggs, quarter and place on top of the fish and sauce mixture in a medium-large baking dish. Top with spoonfuls of the mash, spreading evenly to cover. Put on a baking tray and bake for 30 – 40 minutes until bubbling.

TIPS

Celeriac browns quickly when peeled so put it into water with lemon juice added to stop discolouration. Use a knife rather than a peeler would be my advice.

I used cooked prawns when making this dish and they were fine. I couldn’t find frozen pie mix in the supermarket but they did have fresh, or you could make your own mix using salmon, white fish and smoked haddock. Max sells pie mix (the fishmonger who comes to Ledbury on a Tuesday morning).

You can make a white sauce without making a roux if you add flour to cold milk and keep whisking until it bubbles. I never bother making a roux now. Waitrose sell sauce flour designed to be used without butter.

SUPERFOOD LOAF CAKE

Serves 8

180mls. sunflower oil
225g. light brown sugar or muscovado sugar
3 large eggs, separated
35g. raw beetroot, peeled and grated
juice of 1 lemon
75g. sultanas
75g. mixed seeds
100g. wholemeal self raising flour
125g. white self-raising flour
1/2 tsp. bicarb of soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. gd. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas Mark 4. Line a 900g. loaf tin with baking parchment. Place the oil and sugar in a large bowl and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating between each addition. Stir in the grated beetroot, lemon juice, sultanas and all but 2 tbsps. of the seeds.

Sift the flours, bicarb, baking powder and cinnamon over the egg mixture and fold in with a metal spoon.

Place the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Fold the beaten egg whites gradually into the cake mixture using a metal spoon.

Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin and sprinkle with the remaining seeds. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes then turn out and transfer to a wire rack. Keeps for 3 – 4 days in an airtight container.

TIPS

You can buy loaf tins liners at the kitchen shop in Ledbury. Brilliant things to have in store.

Make sure your bowl is grease free when you whisk the egg whites. You use a metal spoon so that you retain the air, a wooden spoon knocks it out.