The Boy's Bits

Had fun on Sunday, went a few extra yards to do a bang up meal. Menu below, with cooking notes further on

Starter Smoked Pacific Chum Salmon on Freshly Baked Oatmeal Bread

Main Roast Lamb & Gravy
Baked Potatoes with Greek Yogurt
Roast Carots & Parsnips
Asparagus with Lemon Butter and Parmesan
Steamed Green Beans

Pudding Rhubard & Ginger Upside Cake with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Even the kids where waddling around after this one.

1. Smoked Salmon - I'm not adverse to farmed Atlantic Salmon, and there's some organic varieties which are interesting and not quite as environmentally harmful, but I grew up on the West Coast of Canada, and wild Pacific Salmon has a much stronger fuller flavour
2. Oatmeal Bread - A simple recipe that's very morish. 200g Strong White Flour, 200g Wholemeal Flour, 100g Rolled Oats, 1 tbsp Butter, 1 tbsp soft brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp dried yeast
3. Roast Lamb - The uneducated will say the Rosemary & Garlic are "Mediterainian Spices". Both have been present and used in English cuisine for as long as recipes have been recorded here. For lamb there is nothing better than creating a paste of a bunch of chopped Rosemary, Crushed Garlic (I prefer a smoked garlic), A bit of Lemon Juice and a touch of good Olive Oil. Smear it across the lamb before roasting and make sure you baste regularly. To get the best gravy, put a good dose of water (or wine) into the roasting tin first, and chop up a onion and drop it in the liquid. The onion will desolve during the roasting to make an even richer gravy. Keep toping up the liquid until about half way through the roasting.
4. Baked Potatoes - Make sure you coat the potatoes with just a bit of Olive Oil and salt before baking. I always serve with Greek Yogurt instead of Sour Cream.
5. Roast Carrots and Parnsips - Roast them whole or if the parsnips are particularly large, just cut in half. I always keep a jar of goose fat handy, its the best for roasting veg. Roast up right near the grill to get the veg properly caramalised.
6. Asparagas - Lemon Butter is a snip to make, much easier than a full Holandaise. Melt the butter and then slowly drip in lemon juice as you whisk it. Lovely.
7. Rhubarb Upside Down Cake - Ask if you want the recipe, its lovely. Used the first of this year's rhubarb so it was perfectly young and tender. Perhaps my favourite pudding fruit.