Cooking in:Almost - but not quite - time to get back outside
It's a hard time of year if you're keen on seasonality. Early treats, such as rhubarb and sprouting broccoli, have given us a taste of the summer to come, but not every crop is as good as it looks. Some red peppers from the market the other day collapsed into not much at all under the grill.
And although the sunshine has made us think of barbecues - I've just wire-brushed mine back into readiness - the evenings are still too chilly to eat outside. So while we dream of chargrilled streak, the reality is more likely to be roasted rack of lamb.
Tomorrow we're having our lamb with garlic puree and little gems, with glasses of something white and light.
With luck the weather will soon be nice enough for us to introduce a few more summer flavours. We'll be thinking along the lines of artichokes dressed with lemon-rich olive oil, or some fresh mozzarella broken over a bowl of wilted spinach and topped with toasted pine nuts. Simple and seasonal is not half bad, even in April.
Recipes serve four
RACK OF LAMB, GARLIC PUREE AND BRAISED LETTUCE
3 new season heads of garlic
300ml light chicken stock
1 or 2 racks of lamb (three cutlets a person)
olive oil
4 little gem lettuce, halved lengthways
100g butter
1 tbsp mustard
Put the garlic in a pan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and poach for two minutes. Drain off the water, then add the stock to the pan. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove and reserve the garlic, then carry on simmering the liquid until reduced by half.
Lightly oil the lamb and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven, 220 degree/gas seven, for 20 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
Pour the reduced stock into the roasting pan and add the little gem, cut side up, and season with salt and pepper. Return to the oven and braise, basting once or twice, for 15 minutes or until the core is tender). Remove; keep warm.
Boil the pan juices vigorously for five minutes, then stir in the butter, mustard and reserved garlic cloves. Stir so everything is well amalgamated. Mash with a fork or puree in a blender or food processor and serve with the lamb and little gem.
MANGO FOOL
2 large ripe mangos
150ml whipping cream
1 dsp finely chopped stem ginger preserved in syrup
1 tbsp pine nuts
Peel and roughly chop the mangos, then mash with a fork. Whip the cream, then fold in the fruit and ginger. Spoon into glasses and chill. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and sprinkle over the fool before serving.