By Frank Camorra
For me, a Sunday roast lunch is generous, festive occasion, the highlight of the weekend. It might be a simple family meal - it's often our time to catch up at the end of the busy week - or a long, leisurely gathering with friends. The part I like most is less time in the kitchen. Once the meat is in the oven, you can relax.
I usually serve a crumble for dessert, another easy classic that never goes out of style. I also love using the leftover lamb in sandwiches or crunchy vegetable salads to have the next day for lunch at work, a tasty reminder of the weekend.
Lamb shoulder with pomegranate glaze. Credit: Marcel Aucar
In terms of meat cuts, lamb shoulder has shot to the top of the charts. As popular now as roast leg, it is succulent and never disappoints when cooked well. I like Middle Eastern flavours and the pomegranate molasses adds a tangy sweetness that works beautifully with the meat's richness.
Lamb shoulder with pomegranate glaze
1 lamb shoulder (about 2kg)
8 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into slivers
4 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
85g pomegranate molasses, plus extra to taste
salt and pepper
100ml dry white wine
50ml dry sherry
300ml lamb or chicken stock
Make deep incisions all over the lamb. Stuff a sliver of garlic into every incision then a few leaves of rosemary. Rub olive oil all over the shoulder and into the incisions. Put in a roasting tin, cover loosely with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for a few hours to marinate. When ready to cook, bring the lamb to room temperature. Heat the oven to 180C. Spread about half the pomegranate molasses on the bottom of the lamb and season with salt and ground black pepper. Turn over and spread the top with the rest of the molasses, pushing it into some of the incisions, and season. Roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven to 160C and roast for another 1.5 hours. After 1 hour, add the wine and sherry, pouring them around the joint. When the lamb is cooked, put it on a warm platter then cover with foil and rest for 15 minutes while you finish the sauce. Put the roasting tin over a medium heat and add the stock. Bring to the boil and cook until it is reduced a little (not too much or it will be too salty). It doesn't matter if it's quite thin, the flavour is the important thing. Strain the sauce through a sieve before serving it with the lamb.
Serves 6
Potato and celeriac gratin
500g potatoes
500g celeriac
425ml thickened cream
140ml sour cream
85ml whole milk
2 cloves garlic, very finely sliced
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
100g chestnuts, peeled and cooked
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C. Peel the potatoes and celeriac and slice very finely - a mandolin is best. In a large saucepan, mix the creams and milk and bring to just under the boil. Add the sliced vegetables, garlic and thyme and cook gently for 5 minutes. Slice the chestnuts. Season the vegetables well then layer half into an oval buttered gratin dish, about 33-centimetres long, spreading them evenly. Spoon the chestnuts on top then layer over the remaining vegetables. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and a skewer can be pushed through easily. Cool slightly before serving with the lamb.
Serves 6
TIP
When layering the potato mixture into the baking dish, keep the vegetable slices flat to avoid air pockets in your gratin.