New season’s lamb

Appears in
top 1000British Seasonal Food
British Seasonal Food

By Mark Hix

Published 2008

  • About
Spring lamb is one of our great British meats - a must-have treat, especially if you can get your hands on Saltmarsh lamb, or the animals that feed on seaweed in the Shetland Isles. As you can imagine this grazing, at low tide, has a tremendous impact on flavour and the meat is very special.

Simple cooking methods are the best options for spring lamb. Only the breast calls for long slow cooking (see recipe). Simply roast leg, loin or rack of spring lamb, and griddle or pan-fry cutlets and leg steaks, then serve with a sympathetic seasonal partner. For example, try a twist on a classic mint sauce by adding other chopped spring herbs, such as chervil and parsley, or make a pesto-like sauce using wild garlic leaves, walnuts and olive oil.