After a two year delay, my family and I are just back from a life-affirming and very special trip to New York. My teenage girls are lucky. I was in my 30s before I went over the Williamsburg bridge in a yellow cab, my face pressed against the window like a child. The familiar skyline loomed at first, then swallowed us up. I was happy to be eaten. New York City casts a spell over you.
I had a couple of restaurants booked, but nothing like the usual extensive list. It was their holiday after all, and I was going to end up in the Cheesecake Factory, whether I liked it or not.
We landed home straight into Easter, so I’m going to cook lamb this weekend. I’m taking our Sunday lunch straight to the south of France. That’s the thing about food, it allows you to dream. We’ll hope for a sunny day, so we can pretend we are in the lavender scented, dappled sunlight of Provence.
Pissaladière is one of my favourite things to eat. Caramelised onions, olives and anchovies are baked on a crispy dough base. I’d almost forego pizza for evermore to immerse myself in its bold salty flavours. I’m pairing the leg of lamb with these flavours to transport us. A chilled crisp rosé would take it to heaven.
I’m pairing the lamb and bulking it up with some simply roasted potatoes, courgettes, rosemary, lemon and pine nuts. The lamb needs some lubrication, so I’m making a simple tomato and goat’s cheese sauce, laden with butterbeans.
This is a lunch I would happily serve at home to a gang. It’s well considered in that all the dishes are in harmony with one another and it’s hopefully not difficult to make. Once Easter is past us, we’ll have one eye on the summer. How the year is flying.
A meat thermometer will take the guesswork out of cooking the roast. I’m cooking the lamb medium (pink), which is 65 degrees. If you would like it a little more cooked, nudge it to 70 degrees, but above that, you’re in well-done territory.
Recipe: Leg of lamb pissaladière
Recipe: Roast potatoes, courgettes, lemon and pinenuts
