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James Martin recommended adding one unusual ingredient to roast lamb (Image: ITV)
This weekend traditionally sees roast lamb take pride of place on British dinner tables. The meat has long been the star attraction at Easter Sunday lunches, and culinary experts have shared their advice on the finest way to prepare the dish.
This weekend, roast lamb is set to once again dominate British dining tables, particularly during Easter Sunday meals. This traditional dish has been a centerpiece for many families, and culinary specialists are offering their top tips on how to best prepare it.
Among the experts is renowned chef James Martin, who suggested enhancing the flavor of the lamb by adding a couple of special ingredients before cooking.
In a video posted on the Food Network UK’s YouTube channel, James demonstrated his method by making several incisions in the lamb.
These slits were filled with garlic and a touch of lavender. He pointed out that the rich taste of lamb demands equally strong flavors to balance it, which is why he opted for garlic and lavender.
Although lavender might seem like an unusual choice, James assured viewers that it “pairs beautifully” with lamb.
READ MORE: Cost of British staple set to soar by 30% this year
James recommended adding lavender as a flavour alongside garlic (stock) (Image: Halfpoint Images via Getty Images)
James elaborated on how best to use lavender when preparing the dish, reports the Mirror.
He advised: “If you grow this [lavender] in your garden, and you’re going to do this dish snip off the little heads that go on there, the little purple heads, before you place it into the lamb. Catch it before it flowers or trim off those purple tops and then insert this little spring inside each little hole.
“It’s quite strong is lavender so you only need a little bit, so just place a sprig of the lavender inside each hole where you’ve put the garlic. Makes sure it’s nice and compact and you’ve got this lovely combination of garlic and lavender.”
A series of experts have offered different tips on cooking roast lamb (stock) (Image: Lucas Teixeira via Getty Images)
However, James isn’t the only chef to have shared his thoughts on the finest way to prepare a superb roast lamb, with TikTok creator John Gregory-Smith also entering the debate.
Rather than following James’s lead, John opted to infuse his lamb with lemon, garlic, rosemary, as well as salt and pepper, rather than lavender and garlic.
Much like James, he achieved this by piercing holes in the lamb before loosely covering it with baking paper and tinfoil. He said: “This time I have a full-on feast for you, starting off with slow-cooked lamb that you pull apart and serve with lashings of gravy.
“I’m going to show you how to make the ultimate slow-cooked roast lamb for the Easter weekend. Flavoursome butter with lemon, garlic, rosemary and plenty of salt and pepper.”
In addition to incorporating butter and rosemary, John slow cooked the lamb for four hours prior to adding lemon butter.
Since uploading the clip to the social media platform, John’s video has accumulated over 15,000 views.
While there are numerous roast lamb recipes currently circulating, Britons have been cautioned that the cost of their roasts has increased. According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank, UK households have faced additional expenses over the past three years.
Speaking to the Independent, a food and farming analyst at the think tank said: “Lamb prices are through the roof after droughts, extreme heat and heavy rainfall have hit farmers’ costs of production, weakening grass growth and not allowing the depleted hay stores they depend on time to recover.”
Catch James Martin on James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITV today (April 4) at 9.30am.