Chez Watson: Easter Sunday Roast Lamb

Due to being late for the butchers yesterday I ended up having to get a rolled shoulder of lamb rather than leg but spying the amount of fat around it made me confident that it would taste better than leg and the roast tatties would be fabulous. I was not wrong. The fattier the meat the tastier. I just can't believe that with my love of pork belly and rib of beef that I've never bought shoulder of lamb.

We spent all day painting the front room and it's still not finished. The blue wall is going to need four coats and I got two done. Thanks Dad for choosing the worst colour ever! ;) Once the walls are done it will be glossing the skirting boards and window sill so lots to do yet, then two more rooms. I think I was a little ambitious to think we could do everything in less than a week. It's looking a lot better though already, we will be able to use the room as a room again instead of a dumping ground. Always nice.

I downed tools around 4:30pm and had a shower then remembered the lamb. I wanted to cook it on a low heat for a long time, it was going to be a late dinner...d'oh. I put some garlic and rosemary under the fat and chucked it in the oven raw...no time for browning today.

I like mashed potato with lamb but had to do some roasties too with all that lovely fat so I skipped the Yorkshires tonight. I mashed carrots and swede with lots of butter and we had spring greens, purple sprouting broccoli and peas, with a port and reccurrant gravy. It was absolutely divine, even better than the rib of beef last week (and I didn't think that was possible). Shoulder of lamb is the way forward! Just ask Colin....

Another family tradition (well, one of my Mum's) is a little basket filled with chocolate eggs so I always do that, mainly for Mr W's benefit as I don't eat much chocolate (although the Lindor are mine....probably last me weeks).