Sunday lunch: roast lamb, layered potatoes and rice pudding
Sunday lunch, then, and even though I say so myself, this one was rather a cracker. Given a unanimous 10/10 (unheard of in our house) and with the added bonus of being one of the easiest too. First up then is the main course:
Roast lamb with creamy layered potatoes
½ leg lamb (about 1kg)
1 kg potatoes
50g butter
300ml milk or cream
So for the lamb, just preheat the oven at about 180/gas 4, rub all over with a generous slug of olive oil ( a clove or two of smooshed garlic wouldn’t go amiss here either – or a handful of rosemary if you have it) and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Now just bung it in the oven and forget about it for about an hour and a half . For a whole leg, or a joint any larger than a kg, allow 1 hour per kg, plus ½ hour for well done meat (I know, I know, but I just can’t prefer not to eat my lamb pink – sorry and all that).
Remove from the oven and reserve somewhere warm, covered in foil. Place the roasting tin on the hob, add a dessertspoon of plain flour and whisk all the juices in with the flour. Now, add 500ml stock, transfer to a saucepan and let it bubble away gently until you’re ready to eat. Oh, and season to taste.
For the potatoes (I hesitate to call them Dauphinoise – I think they’re probably more cheesey), peel and weigh them, then slice thinly (aim for about 5mm slices, but don’t amputate your fingers trying):
Butter an ovenproof dish, then arrange the slices into a thick layer on the bottom of the dish. Dot with butter and season generously with salt and pepper:
… then continue with the next layer, again dotting with butter and seasoning well. Continue until you’ve used up all the potatoes. Pour over the milk or cream (or combination of both, or even chicken stock if you’re off diary), dot with the remaining butter, season well and cover. Stick into the oven next to the lamb. It should be ready at about the same time (an hour and a half). If it’s not quite there, remove the lid and continue to bake while the lamb is resting.
Now for English Mum’s Mum’s creamy rice pudding (hmm, might have to work on that title):
100g pudding rice
800 ml milk
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
To cook on the hob (I had no room left in my oven): mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down low and let the rice pudding simmer very gently for about an hour. Don’t cover it, and do watch it. Mine boiled over all over my hob and caused an almighty mess. I really must get myself a diffuser. We have bottled gas that comes rocketing out like nobody’s business and it’s difficult to get a really low heat.
Me Ma’s original recipe calls for all the ingredients to be placed in a buttered ovenproof dish and cooked in a low oven for a couple of hours. It’s honestly much nicer this way, although you have to stir the skin in occasionally (sorry there, skin haters).
Serve with fruit compote (I used frozen berries warmed up with a tbsp sugar and a big slug of blackcurrant liqueur) or a big dollop of raspberry jam.
This is really nice made with coconut milk as well (thank you, Bill Granger!). Just as a matter of interest – this amount serves 4, but we could easily have eaten double. If you’re greedy sods like us then I suggest you double up.
There you have it. Now retire to your sofa with a fat greyhound and the Sunday papers, while your willing, full-up peasants do the washing up. Bliss.
(Can I have some rice pudding now?)
Susan: Thanks. It was conditional on #2 not having to eat cooked carrots (he only likes raw) and not having to have the ‘fruit stuff’ on the rice pudding but still… not a bad result! And yes, of course you can – grab a spoon
http://fairycakeheaven.blogspot.com/2009/03/shining-star-of-wonderful-gorgeousness.html
TEE HEE
Tara: Oh yeah. It’s little fat grains like risotto rice – makes lovely creamy rice pudding. Nom nom. x
Jenn: Ah, much like my lot at English Towers then. Wish our local did food. When we lived back near Dublin our local did fantastic food. Nothing like Sunday lunch in a pub, is there? x
Spudness: Ah, thought you’d like that. Yes, maybe try it again – the vanilla makes it more ‘grown up’ and it’s less jellyish than school rice pudding somehow
i’m drooling at the very thought of those spuds. yump!x
I’m sorry about this but, rice pudding, NOOOO, it’s just wrong. I hate the stuff. Actually, do you know what I hate about it….the texture…bleurgh. Sorry!!!
Recently, OH said he’d have a go, so I bought some pudding rice. He then denied it, so the rice is still in the cupboard. Maybe I’ll have another go. :p
Sandra: I agree, but it makes Hubby want to yack
Jenn: Nooo, it’s gorgeous! Must admit I’m surprised Hubby likes it (and #2) ‘cos they both have issues with texture (Hubby’s worst nightmare is macaroni cheese). Weird.
Jay: Well, although the end result was nice, I did completely and utterly balls it up by boiling it over all over the place and having to add more milk! Still, turned out right in the end – yes, have another go
Nats: God yes, golden syrup. Nom nom. Might have to knock up a (double) batch now!
It’s true. Story of my life. I am the Queen of Spam
[...] – I love the commentary on this recipe and recipes in general, which says a lot for our culinary blog friends. “A recipe isn’t just a set of instructions for cooking, it’s a personal [...]
[...] – I love the commentary on this recipe and recipes in general, which says a lot for our culinary blog friends. “A recipe isn’t just a set of instructions for cooking, it’s a personal [...]