Roast lamb is a traditional dish for Easter Sunday, but if you fancy trying something a little different this year we’ve teamed up with the Kindling Restaurant for these ‘traditional with a twist’ recipes.
Slow roast shoulder of mutton with carrot, tomatoes and red wine by Toby Green
A classic combination of seasonal flavours, this dish is rich, comforting and perfect for a family celebration. Here, the traditional spring lamb is replaced with a piece of regeneratively farmed mutton. Regenerative agriculture is a farming system that aims to restore and improve the countryside. This has the added benefit of enhancing the flavour over a longer period. To source high quality mutton, speak to your local butcher or farm shop.
To feed 4 , you’ll need:
- 1 whole mutton shoulder, on the bone (1.8 – 2kg)
- 5 echalion shallots, halved and peeled
- 10 ripe plum tomatoes, halved with the white core removed
- 5 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 head of garlic, divided into cloves, but not peeled
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1 bunch of thyme, tied
- 3 sticks of rosemary, tied
- 3 bay leaf
- 500 ml red wine
- 500 ml chicken stock
What to do:
- Preheat your oven to 130C.
- Mix all the vegetables together in a roasting tray with a little salt and olive oil. Spread them out into a bed for the shoulder. Tuck the herb bundles underneath the meat and pour your wine and chicken stock over the vegetable bed.
- Slow roast for 4 hours uncovered, topping up the liquid with a little water if the stew becomes too dry.
- Remove the tray from the oven and put meat to one side to rest, ideally with a clean tea towel on top to prevent it from cooling too much. Remove herb bundles from the sauce by giving them a little shake.
- Carefully pour or spoon the sauce into another pan, then simmer for 10 – 15 mins until thickened. Season with some salt if it needs it, then arrange in your serving dish and top with the mutton, carved or pulled apart. Serve with mash potato and seasonal greens.
Chocolate sponge with salted caramel sauce and popcorn by Holly Taylor
This decadent dessert is dairy-free, suitable for vegans and can even be made gluten free as well, but you’ll never be able to tell! Rich moist chocolate sponge, topped with creamy caramel sauce and crunchy salty popcorn. Serve with chocolate sorbet or dairy free ice cream for a luxury finish.
To feed 4, you’ll need:
- 75g oil
- 35g good quality cocoa powder
- 220g dairy free yogurt e.g. soya yogurt
- 30g oat milk
- 2 tsp (10ml) distilled vinegar
- 150g soft dark brown sugar
- 140g self-raising flour (gluten-free self-raising flour will also work here)
- ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp table salt
What to do:
- Line an 8-inch square cake tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 170C.
- Place the oil and cocoa powder in a small pan and heat gently for a few minutes to help bring out the flavour of the chocolate, then set aside to cool.
- Put the dairy free yogurt, oat milk, vinegar and sugar together in a mixing bowl or kitchen aid and whisk until smooth. Then stir in the chocolate and oil mixture.
- Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a clean bowl. Fold into the wet ingredients, mixing well to avoid any lumps.
- Pour into the lined cake tin and gently level using a spatula, being careful to avoid removing too much air from the cake.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 170C for 20 – 25 mins, until risen and springy to the touch.
For the salted caramel sauce:
- 200g vegan butter alternative
- 250g soft dark brown sugar
- 125g golden syrup
- Large pinch of Maldon sea salt
What to do:
- Place all the ingredients in a medium sized pan and heat gently over a low heat, whisking until combined.
- Whisk the sauce occasionally as it cools to ensure a silky texture.
For the popcorn:
- A small handful of popping corn kernels
- 2 tbsp of oil
- Fine salt for seasoning
What to do:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium high heat.
- Put 3 or 4 pieces of popping corn into the oil and cover the pan.
- When the test kernels pop, add the rest of the popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and wait 30 seconds.
- Return the pan to the heat and gently shake it as the popcorn starts to pop.
- Try to keep the lid slightly ajar or use a lid with a vent hole in it to help release some of the steam.
- Once the popping slows, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and put the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl. Sprinkle with salt and toss to ensure it is evenly seasoned
To serve:
Cut the cake in long fingers and drizzle with the caramel sauce. Top with salted popcorn and serve with chocolate sorbet or dairy free ice cream.
Kindling Restaurant in Brighton is a community of people: staff, customers and suppliers all sharing and celebrating food and knowledge. Kindling is featured in the Michelin Guide 2021 and is a member of the Sustainable Restaurants Association.
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