Easter 2019 recipes: From Provencal lamb stew to eggy bread hot cross buns

Is there anything for spring-like than lamb and hot cross buns? We think not. Here are our favourite recipes for how to celebrate

Provencal Easter organic lamb stew by Sam Richards

A big one pot that needs so little preparation that it almost makes itself. A whole lamb shoulder, organically reared in the UK to the highest welfare standards, is gently pot roasted over a stew of cannellini beans and the flavours of Provence: tomatoes, rosemary and olives. The meltingly tender meat falls off the bone into the rich and satisfying sauce.

Cooking time: 4 hours
Serves 6

2kg whole lamb shoulder
3 onions
4 garlic cloves
A handful of rosemary, leaves only
4 tomatoes
6 anchovy fillets
200ml white wine
3x 400g tins of cannellinii beans
1 chicken stock cube
80g black olives
A handful of oregano, leaves only
1 lemon
50g rocket
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
500ml boiling water

Remove the lamb from the fridge an hour before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 160C/Fan 140C/Gas Mark 3. Peel the onions and thinly slice them. Peel the garlic cloves and crush or finely chop. Finely chop the rosemary leaves.

Pour 1 tbsp oil into a large pot, big enough to fit the lamb. Warm to a high heat for 2-3 mins. Rub a generous pinch of salt and pepper into the lamb shoulder. When the pan is hot, add the lamb and fry for 3-4 mins on each side, till golden brown. Transfer the lamb to a plate.

Reduce the heat of the pan to medium. Slide in the sliced onions, garlic and rosemary. Cook for 4-5 mins, stirring frequently, till softened and golden. Pour in the wine. Bring to the boil, and continue to cook for a further 4-5 mins, till the liquid has reduced but about half.

While the onions are cooking, chop the tomatoes roughly into small pieces. Finely chop the anchovy fillets. Drain the cannellini beans through a sieve, and rinse with cold water.

Tip the beans into the pan. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and anchovies. Crumble in the stock cube and pour in 500ml boiling water. Stir well, till combined. Bring to a simmer.

Nestle the lamb shoulder into the stew. Pour in any juices from the plate. Cover the dish with a lid (or use two layers of foil). Slide the pan into the oven and roast for 2 hrs.

After the lamb has cooked for 2 hrs, remove the lid or foil. Return the pan to the oven and cook for a further 1.5-2 hours, till the meat is very tender.

When the lamb is almost cooked, remove any stones from the olives and roughly chop them. Zest the lemon. Roughly chop the oregano leaves.

Remove the lamb shoulder from the stew and pop onto a plate. Shred the meat into large chunks. Skim away any excess fat from the surface of the stew. Stir the olives, lemon zest and oregano leaves into the sauce. Tip in the rocket and stir till wilted. Squeeze in half of the lemon juice. Taste the sauce, and add more salt and pepper or lemon if needed.

Return the shredded lamb into the sauce. Ladle the stew into bowls and serve.

Hot cross eggy bread with organic citrus butter by Sorrel Scott

What's better than a giant hot cross bun? When it's turned into delicious organic eggy bread, perfect for breakfast or brunch, especially when it’s made with eggs from happy hens.

Cooking time: 16 mins
Serves 4

For the citrus butter

50g butter
2 tsp Seville orange marmalade
1 lemon, zest only

For the eggy bread

1 lemon
4 eggs
2 tbsp crème fraiche​
A pinch of mixed spice
A knob of butter
1 giant hot cross bun

Melt 50g butter with 2 tsp Seville orange marmalade and the zest of 1 lemon. Put in the fridge to set.

Beat 4 eggs with the zest of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp crème fraiche and a pinch of mixed spice. Dunk 4 giant hot cross bun slices into the eggy mix, coating both sides. Heat a knob of butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Place the hot cross bun slices in the pan, shaking off any excess mix. Cook for 2-3 mins on each side. Repeat with another 4 slices.

Place a couple of eggy bread on each plate and top with a dollop of citrus butter.

Organic spring chicken with wild garlic butter by Sorrel Scott

Cooking time: 1 hour 45 mins
Serves 4-6

Did you know wild garlic is also called bear's leek, because brown bears love to dig it up and eat it? At Abel & Cole we’re all about responsibly enjoying the seasons, which is why we work with trained, professional foragers who pick our wild garlic from only the most sustainable spots. We've used it to make a gorgeously garlicky butter that is the perfect baste for a roast spring chicken. Perfect for Sunday lunch. Just keep your eyes open for hungry bears.

1.7kg whole chicken
50g wild garlic
1 garlic bulb
90g butter, room temperature
1 lemon
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
8 shallots
250ml white wine or chicken stock

Remove the chicken from the fridge and unwrap it. Place in a roasting tin. Take out the giblets (keep them for making a stock or gravy later). Leave the chicken to come to room temperature. Heat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.

Finely chop the wild garlic leaves and place in a bowl. Pull a garlic clove from the bulb. Peel and finely grate it into the bowl. Add the butter and zest in the lemon. Add plenty of salt and pepper. Mix together till combined and vivid green.

Using your fingers, or the end of a wooden spoon, lift the skin from the breast, taking care not to tear the skin. Place half of the butter under the skin and massage in. Halve the garlic bulb and the lemon and insert them into the chicken's cavity.

Arrange the unpeeled shallots around the chicken. Loosely cover the chicken with foil, scrunching the foil onto the tin to seal. Roast for 45 mins.

Take the chicken out of the oven and pour 250ml white wine or chicken stock into thetin. Cover with foil again and roast for a further 30 mins. After the chicken has cooked for 1 hour 15 mins, remove the foil. Baste it with the juices in the tin. Dot over the remaining butter and place back into the oven, uncovered for 15 mins.

The chicken should be cooked through. Check by inserting a knife or skewer into the leg. The juices should run clear. If they are pink, slide back into the oven for 10 mins or till the juices are clear.

Lift the chicken and shallots out of the dish and pop on a board. Remove the garlic and lemon. Cover the chicken with a loose tent of foil and leave to rest for 30 mins.

Serve slices of the buttery wild garlic chicken with the juices from the pan spooned over. Add a squeeze of the roasted lemon too, if you like, and serve with the roast shallots.

Recipes from abelandcole.co.uk