Easter Lamb

Ingredients
1 de-boned shoulder of lamb about 1 ½ – 2 kg
salt and pepper
fresh oregano or fresh rosemary
small bunch of flat leaf parsley
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic

Sauce
200 ml white wine
1 bunch of tarragon
2 shallots, finely chopped
400 ml lamb or veal stock

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 160° C.

Make a paste from the herbs using the rosemary or oregano, parsley, garlic and the olive oil by mashing up in a pestle and mortar. Rub on the inside of the shoulder. Take a length of kitchen string and tie up the meat into a tidy roll. Season with salt, pepper.

Heat a heavy casserole with some olive oil over a high heat and brown the lamb on all sides.  Place a lid on the casserole and roast for a about 60 minutes.

Remove from the oven and leave to stand for a further 20 minutes in a warm place.

Pour of the excess fat and add a little stock to the pan, bring to the boil and reserve for the sauce.

To make the sauce, ,blanch the tarragon in boiling water for 10 seconds, then plunge into cold water. Dry off, remove the leaves from the stalks and chop finely. Reserve to add to the sauce later.

Place the stalks in a pan with the white wine and shallot, bring to the boil and reduce by half. Add the lamb or veal stock and simmer gently until reduced by a quarter.  Add the cooking juices from the lamb and the tarragon, just before serving. Season, if necessary with salt and pepper.

Braised Greens
2 heads of Swiss chard or Cavalo Nero
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
50g raisins soaked in a little brandy or hot water
2 tablespoons toasted nigella seeds (black onion) or pine nuts

Method
Wash the vegetables well in cold water and remove any though stalks.

Blanch the vegetables for a few minutes in boiling salted water and drain well.

Heat the olive oil in a pan add the chopped anchovies, toss in the vegetables and heat through; add the raisins, the seeds or nuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

We, the Amsterdam Flavours chefs, hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have any questions on how to prepare it or just want to send us your feedback, you can reach us here Contact Amsterdam Flavours