Last week I pledged to have last season’s lamb for Easter, not least because that’s all there is on offer. And that’s what I’m going to have for Easter lunch. I might probably go for leg as it’s a roast that lets everyone have the bits they like the best: crisp and well-done as well as pink and succulent.
But I’m not decided yet – I have not had a proper lamb shoulder roast for ages, on a bed of potato slices that look like a write-off initially and then turn out to be the best part of the meal.
I could go for shanks all round, served with this wonderful cabbage that is practically my invention and now you can make it too. Or, also traditionally, have ham which really is apple cider braised gammon.
But it’s not only the main meat roast that's important, of course: in fact meat might not be central on your table.
In which case I’d say go for the potato babka. It’s a bit of work but it’s so gorgeous the meat eaters will abandon their lamb and clamber over the babka greedily.
Or else you could make butternut squash in cheesy custard, with similar results.
But the lunch, even the roast with exquisite sides like boulangère potatoes or roasted savoy cabbage is not the main Easter event. Chocolate crème eggs are.
And you can make them yourself, all you need is the plastic moulds for the eggs, chocolate chips and the basic, sickly-gorgeous icing that is the inside of the crème egg. The recipe is adaptable to how many eggs you’ll eventually want to produce.
But also, Easter is nothing unless we have plenty hot cross buns. I absolutely promise mine is the best recipe there is: you’ll never buy another hot cross bun from a shop.
If you’re not quite that kind of a person, you can always make Sedgemoor biscuits, a token gesture at baking your own sweets for Easter.
And if, conversely, you want a challenge, there’s Colomba Pasquale, Easter dove cake – as gorgeous as you can imagine looking at the pictures. And another challenge: there’s my take on Easter panettone: bunettone, if you are a proficient baker.
I just hope the weather is going to be nicer than The Weather Man says, so happy Easter everyone!