The Globe Troffers

I’ve been road testing a few new recipes from the River Cottage Everyday book (put it on your Christmas list)

First up is the slow roasted shoulder of lamb cooked with Merguez spices, which I can highly recommend. This is a perfect dinner party dish that you bung in the oven early in the day then forget about it for around 6 hours. What comes out the other end is meltingly tender meat that is nicely spiced on the outside and beautifully moist lamb. We cooked this for some friends recently and finished it off with a limited but exceptional cheeseboard from Anthony’s Fromagerie.

Whilst I was in Bentleys in Pudsey, I spied a brace of Pheasant that really did look too good to miss out on.

I unwrapped them from their plastic to prevent them sweating and they kept happily in the fridge for a few days. These babies provided a lovely midweek treat. I pot roasted them, coverered to keep them moist, threw in potatoes, celery and smoked bacon. Simple and delicious. I think this recipe came from Nigel Slater’s unassailable Kitchen Diaries. This book is always good for those quick, seasonal suppers and always has a recipe that fits the mood or unusual ingredients.