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Easter Lunch

125 replies

whoami24601 · 06/04/2023 10:34

For the first time ever as a grown up I am in charge of cooking the Easter lunch. Eek! Can you all talk me through your menus and help me to plan? Don't have a massive budget but was thinking I'll splurge on a nice bit of lamb and also have a pork shoulder in the freezer I'll defrost. It'll be 3 adults and 3 kids (10,7 and 4). No to chocolate dessert. Thanks!

OP posts:
whoami24601 · 06/04/2023 20:43

OK... I've been shopping. Got my leg of lamb (thanks half price in sainsburys!). How the fuck do I cook it?!

OP posts:
JaffavsCookie · 06/04/2023 20:47

I think you could sack off the cauli cheese, not that it isn’t tasty but a load of extra work for you.
cooking the lamb, i always use the bbc food guides online

GettingStuffed · 06/04/2023 20:49

For Sunday I'm cooking kokkinisto, a Greek red wine stew with Greek style roast potatoes and veg, and Monday we're having roast lamb and Greek style veg.

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RosesAndHellebores · 06/04/2023 20:58

Bring the lamb to room temperature. Make about 12 slots in the skin and insert and fine slice of garlic and a sprig of garlic. Pop it into a hot oven for about 20 minutes a pound and 20 minutes over. Rest and carve.

Serve with mint sauce.

I usually bung a quartered onion in with the joint for the gravy. Drain off all the fat, take the burnt bits off the onion, add about 3/4 oz of flour and stir, slosh in half a glass of wine, a knorr lamb cube and half a pannof veg water.

I usually serve leeks in garlic sauce with it. (Sliced leeks, butter, flour, milk, salt and pepper).

Chantenay Carrots baked in an lidded pt with 1dsp water, one dsp butter, one tsp sugar and a pinch of salt. Takes about 90 minutes.

Sugar snap peas, padded out with frozen.

Roast potatoes.

Enjoy.

I'm not a huge pudding cook but might do something like a lemon meringue pie which is as cheap as chips to make if the lamb was expensive.

Poblano · 06/04/2023 21:06

Couldn't decide between lamb and chicken for Easter Sunday so have settled on

Sunday:
Roast chicken
Stuffing
Roast potatoes
Cauliflower cheese
Roast parsnips
Carrots
Gravy
Hot cross bun bread & butter pudding

Saturday:
Moroccan slow roast lamb shoulder
Cumin potatoes
Roast Mediterranean vegetables
Salad

Friday:
Fish pie
Tenderstem broccoli
Asparagus

whoami24601 · 06/04/2023 21:20

JaffavsCookie · 06/04/2023 20:47

I think you could sack off the cauli cheese, not that it isn’t tasty but a load of extra work for you.
cooking the lamb, i always use the bbc food guides online

I hear you but it's the only part of the meal I'm confident cooking so I think I'll stick with it!

OP posts:
emmathedilemma · 06/04/2023 21:24

whoami24601 · 06/04/2023 17:13

Bloody hell of course! Gravy is such a given I didn't think it needed specifying there's always gravy in yorkshire

Phew! You are my type of people!!

mdinbc · 06/04/2023 21:40

Mine is a repeat of Christmas, otherwise there will be a mutiny! So roast turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, stuffing, gravy and green bean salad.

I do switch up dessert, this time I'm thinking of a chiffon cake with lemon curd.

handsoffate · 06/04/2023 21:44

Roast chicken with lemon and herbs, new potatoes and probably roasties (to prevent mutiny), massive yorkies, leeks oven cooked in stock, sprouting broccoli, homemade cinnamon and apple ice cream for dessert. Lots of wine, and fancy pop for the kids.

whoami24601 · 06/04/2023 21:55

emmathedilemma · 06/04/2023 21:24

Phew! You are my type of people!!

I'm even thinking of having a go at making my own Shock

OP posts:
mindutopia · 06/04/2023 22:23

I personally wouldn’t do two meats unless you have a huge crowd or need loads of leftovers for the week. I’ve hosted many big holiday dinners and never cooked 2 separate joints. People can fill up on sides. Kids don’t usually eat much meat anyway.

We are doing a smoked spiced leg of lamb, with flatbreads, roast potatoes, tomato/cucumber/onion salad, some green veg all served with hummus and a mint yoghurt sauce.

Pudding is fruit salad (MIL won’t eat anything richer) and Eton mess.

There will be 3 adults and 2 children and I’ll make curry with leftover lamb on Monday.

RaininSummer · 06/04/2023 22:26

Making a Dishoom style Indian feast here.

whoami24601 · 06/04/2023 22:30

mindutopia · 06/04/2023 22:23

I personally wouldn’t do two meats unless you have a huge crowd or need loads of leftovers for the week. I’ve hosted many big holiday dinners and never cooked 2 separate joints. People can fill up on sides. Kids don’t usually eat much meat anyway.

We are doing a smoked spiced leg of lamb, with flatbreads, roast potatoes, tomato/cucumber/onion salad, some green veg all served with hummus and a mint yoghurt sauce.

Pudding is fruit salad (MIL won’t eat anything richer) and Eton mess.

There will be 3 adults and 2 children and I’ll make curry with leftover lamb on Monday.

I selfishly want lamb but I don't think anyone else will. I was thinking I could use as leftovers and freeze the rest in portions. My mum will probably take some home too as she lives alone now so will be grateful for a few meals. Lamb is a rare luxury in this house so I'm making the most of the opportunity!

OP posts:
BigcatLittlecat · 06/04/2023 22:32

Leg of lamb, roast potatoes, peas, carrots, cauli, gravy, onion sauce and stuffing. Controversially I'm doing pigs in blankets as well! Lemon cheesecake for pudding! 7 of ua for lunch! Can't wait!

Thistooshallpsss · 06/04/2023 22:33

Gammon cooked in cider with leeks in cheese sauce roasted pots and roast beets parsnips and carrots and tender broccoli oooh and a few pigs in blankets followed by fruit salad as there will be chocolate!

JingsMahBucket · 07/04/2023 01:34

@mindutopia mind if I ask what’s in your mint yoghurt sauce please? I’m planning to use Greek yoghurt as base thinned with lemon juice and water as needed. For spicing I’ll add EVOO, garlic, mint, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 07/04/2023 07:54

Traditional, bog standard roast half leg of lamb, lots of roast potatoes, petits pois and carrots, proper gravy, mint sauce.
A dd is bringing pud, don’t know what.

Snugglemonkey · 07/04/2023 07:56

murasaki · 06/04/2023 11:52

We're doing the yotam ottolenghi shoulder of lamb and boulangere potato recipe that was in the guardian a couple of weeks ago. Lamb juices dripping on the spuds as its cooked on the rack above. Can't wait. Just off to collect the lamb from the butcher.

I did something similar, I think it was a Jamie Oliver recipe. The mess!!!! Never again!

JumpToRecipe · 07/04/2023 07:59

whoami24601 · 06/04/2023 22:30

I selfishly want lamb but I don't think anyone else will. I was thinking I could use as leftovers and freeze the rest in portions. My mum will probably take some home too as she lives alone now so will be grateful for a few meals. Lamb is a rare luxury in this house so I'm making the most of the opportunity!

Leg of lamb is very lean so doesn’t freeze terribly well once cooked. It fares better when it has been incorporated into dishes, eg shepherd’s pie, curry, than frozen. I would have suggested getting a smaller cut if only one person is eating the lamb but in for a penny and all that. Did you get a whole leg?!

JumpToRecipe · 07/04/2023 08:00

ChrisPPancake · 06/04/2023 11:00

We're just us 4 this year but I'm thinking we may go traditional with a twist. Madras roast lamb, Bombay roast potatoes and saag or something.
Previous years we've basically repeated Christmas dinner which is awesome because I love it. Trying to work out how to make pigs in blankets Indian style too Grin

Glaze them with mango chutney!

sashh · 07/04/2023 08:06

Stick the lamb in a slow cooker for 4-6 hours, on its own, you don't need anything else. Unless you want to add rosemary / garlic.

Snugglemonkey · 07/04/2023 08:09

I am going traditional, but have a baby who might be a maggot so I am also keeping things easy. I am making cauliflower and broccoli cheese and pâté today. Tomorrow I will make a pavlova base, mashed potatoes and pressure cook gammon (some won't eat lamb). Then on Sunday I will make the maple roasted parsnips, orange buttered roasted carrots and roast leeks. My lamb I just stud with garlic, rosemary and anchovy. Yesterday we made lemon and herb butter because my son wanted to see how butter can come from cream, so I will put some of that on peas, sugar snap peas and asparagus.

I am just doing an antipasti platter as a starter with bread, oil and vinegars, though it will include wee ramekins of pâté. Dessert is raspberry and white chocolate pavlova and/or a cheeseboard.

There will be 10 of us.

Snugglemonkey · 07/04/2023 08:11

Oh, I will just put honey and mustard on the gammon and roast on Sunday.

inappropriateraspberry · 07/04/2023 08:20

We're having trad. roast lamb. (And a quorn roast for me!) It's just a Sunday roast, nothing crazy or special really. Cheesecake or treacle tart for pudding. Then we've got part baked rolls, smoked salmon, cheese etc for Sunday evening and Monday to eat like Christmas style buffet/leftovers.

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