Lamb with olive & herb stu ng

While nobody needs an excuse to get friends and family round for lunch, Easter is a great reason to make a fuss. A crown of lamb is a special centrepiece – your butcher should be able to prepare this, or use our tips below.

SERVES 6 8 PREP 15 mins COOK 50 mins EASY

1 lamb crown made from two French-trimmed racks of lamb (ask your butcher to do this, or see tip below)

For the stuing

1 2 tbsp olive oil

1 echalion shallot, inely chopped 50g can anchovies in oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated 50g pitted olives, roughly chopped 1 heaped tbsp capers, drained 1 lemon, zested and juiced

50g fresh breadcrumbs

2 rosemary sprigs, needles picked

and chopped

½ small bunch of parsley,

inely chopped

75g dried apricots, roughly

chopped

30g pistachios, chopped

1 To make the stu ng, heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat and cook the shallot for 5 mins until soft. Tip the oil from the anchovies into the pan. Roughly chop the anchovies and add these along with the garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the garlic has softened and the anchovies have started to break down. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.

2 Combine the olives, capers, lemon zest and juice, the breadcrumbs, herbs, apricots and pistachios in a bowl, then tip in the shallot mixture and stir to combine. Season. Bring together with your hands – if it’s too dry, add the rest of the oil. It will be slightly loose, but should stick together when squeezed.

3 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Season the lamb all over and cover the exposed bones with foil to prevent them burning. Pack the centre of the crown with the stu ng, then cover with a disc of foil. If you can’t fit all the stu ng into the crown, spoon the rest into an ovenproof dish and bake alongside the lamb. Roast for 40 mins for rare, or until the internal temperature reaches 55C on a meat thermometer. (Or, roast for 50 mins for medium or 55 mins for well done.)

PER SERVING (8) 430 kcals • fat 33g • saturates 14g • carbs 8g • sugars 5g • ibre 2g • protein 23g • salt 1g