Turns out I’m very good at turning vegetables. Turning them into what, I hear you say. Well, it’s the long-lost art of making perfectly even oblong shapes from various types of root vegetables, so they look arty on a plate. It involves hours of practice, patience and mounds of vegetable trimmings. It’s like keepy-uppy with a football: impressive but ultimately useless.
For the most part, the skill got left behind in the 1990s when chefs got into a more natural way of cooking. I had a bit of an epiphany myself around that time when I veered towards cooking a more rustic style of food. If I had to turn another carrot, I was going to gouge my own eyes out.
These dishes are the antithesis of that style of food; they are for the centre of the table, served family-style, perfect for Easter. Robust, convivial and easy to serve, they allow you to relax and enjoy the food yourself. I suggest making them all together for one complete meal. Now, there’s a little project for you.
I’m barbecuing the lamb, but you can roast it as well, of course. I mentioned barbecuing last week so you might have deduced that I’m an enthusiast. I’m giving you a simple marinade for the meat. It’s imperative to use a barbecue with a lid and a thermometer for this. Gas is easier to control but it can certainly be done over charcoal. A big piece of meat needs little or no heat underneath it, the heat must come from around it, otherwise it will burn.
I love this sauce with the lamb. I originally made it for pasta and it is a blinder. ’Nduja is a soft, spreadable, spicy sausage from Calabria, similar to the Spanish sobrassada. Apologies, but it can be hard to find. Use smoked paprika and a little chilli if you can’t get it .
The aubergine and fig is like a warm chutney, lovely with the lamb and lots of other things besides, maybe goat’s cheese or cold meats.
The gratin is inspired by my good friend Eunice Power. Being invited over to her house for dinner was one of life’s great treats and is something to be looked forward to again, I hope. I added some courgette and red onion in an effort to make it my own.
Recipe: Barbecued lamb shoulder with tomato and ’nduja sauce
Recipe: Aubergine agrodolce
Recipe: Provencal vegetable crumble
