During a time of relaxation, joy and memorable moments with family and friends, cooking complicated meals and treats can really dampen your spirit. Worry no more! Here are 2 phenomental, stress-free recipes that will be a sure-fire hit this festive season.
From all of us at PriceCheck, have a wonderful festive season and a blessed New Year.
Jamie Oliver’s perfect roast leg of lamb with mint sauce
Ingredients
2 kg leg of lamb
1.5 kg potatoes
½ a bunch of fresh rosemary
1 bulb of garlic
Olive oil
1 lemon
The Mint Sauce
A few sprigs of fresh mint
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Method
1. Remove the lamb from the fridge 1 hour before you want to cook it; this will ensure that it is at room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºC/gas 6 and place a roasting dish for the potatoes on the bottom.
3. Break the garlic bulb up into cloves; then peel 3, leaving the rest whole. Pick and chop half the rosemary leaves, roughly. Now, peel and halve the potatoes.
4. Crush the peeled garlic into a bowl; add the chopped rosemary; finely grate in the lemon zest and drizzle it in a decent amount of oil and then mix together.
5. Season the lamb with sea salt and black pepper; drizzle with the marinade and then rub it all over the meat.
6. Parboil the potatoes in a saucepan of boiling, salted water for 10 minutes; drain and allow them to steam dry. Softly toss the potatoes in a colander in order to graze the edges and then tip back into the pan.
7. Add the remaining rosemary sprigs as well as whole garlic cloves to the potatoes; season with salt and pepper, then drizzle over a good lug of oil. Tip the potatoes into the hot tray and place back under the lamb to catch all the lovely juices.
8. Cook the lamb for 1 hour 15min, if you want it pink; or 1 hour 30min if you like it more well done.
9. Now, it’s time to make the mint sauce. Pick and finely chop the mint leaves, then place in a small bowl. Mix in the sugar, a good pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon of hot water and vinegar.
10. When the lamb is cooked to your taste, take it out of the oven and leave to rest for approximately 15min. Carve and serve with the roast potatoes, mint sauce and some seasonal greens.
Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver’s official site
No-fail mince pies
Ingredients
225g cold butter, diced
280g mincemeat
350g plain flour
100g golden caster sugar
1 small egg
Icing sugar, to dust
Method
1. To make the pastry, rub 225g diced, cold butter into 350g of plain flour. Stir in 100g of golden caster sugar as well as a pinch of salt.
2. Combine the pastry into a ball (don’t add liquid) and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.
3. Preheat the oven to 200degrees Celsius/gas 6/fan 180 degrees Celsius.
4. Line 18 holes of two 12-hole patty tins, by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole and then spoon 280g of mincemeat into the pies.
5. Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before and pat them out between your hands to make round lids that are big enough to cover the pies. Now, top the pies with the lids by pressing the edges gently together to seal – you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg because they will stick on their own.
6. Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the pies. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool in a tin for 5 minutes; then remove
7. To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.
Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food
