Lynda Booth’s Easter Feast

Leading Irish chef, Lynda Booth began teaching people to cook in her house and went on to set up the award winning, Dublin Cookery School in Blackrock. Lynda  is one of the most passionate chefs and teachers in the country. If you are considering doing a cookery course in one of Ireland’s leading cookery schools, here’s your chance. Dublin Cookery School are offering 30% off on all Evening Courses from 18th April – May, June and July.  You can book online here.

With Easter fast approaching Lynda has shared her favourite Easter recipes that are sure to impress your guests.

Griddled Lamb Rump With Salsa Verde & Olive Oil Crushed Potatoes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients: 

• 2 lamb rumps, boned
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

For the salsa verde:

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 tbsp flat leaf parsley
• Large bunch of basil leaves
• Small bunch of chives, chopped
• 2-4 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained
• 1 tbsp capers, drained (ideally, fresh capers which have been marinated in olive oil)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 5 fl.oz /150ml olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the potatoes:

• 500g/18oz baby new potatoes
• 170ml/6fl.oz extra virgin olive oil

To make the salsa verde in a food processor

Put the garlic, parsley, basil, chives, anchovies and capers in the bowl of the food processor with the lemon juice and a few tablespoons of the oil. Whizz for a minute or two, intermittently scraping down what is thrown up against the sides of the bowl. With the machine running, add the rest of the oil in a thin stream. Taste for seasoning. If you are making the salsa verde in advance, pack it into a jam jar and cover with a thick layer of olive oil. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to use. The salsa verde can be refrigerated for at least a week. Each time you use it, cover with a thin layer of oil.

To marinate the lamb

Place the olive oil in a dish just large enough to hold the lamb. Scatter over the sliced garlic and the rosemary. Sit the lamb on top and turn it in the oil and rosemary. Leave to marinate for an hour or longer, or overnight, covered in the fridge.

To cook the lamb

Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas 6. Heat a griddle pan until very hot (or alternatively, simply use a frying pan to sear the lamb). Season the lamb with salt and pepper and place on the hot griddle. Leave to cook without moving the lamb until the underside is golden. Turn the lamb and continue cooking on all sides until golden all over. Place the lamb on a roasting tray and transfer to the oven. Cook for about 15 minutes or longer, depending on how you like your lamb cooked. Allow the lamb to rest for about 10 minutes.

For the potatoes

In a saucepan of salted boiling water, boil the potatoes until tender. Once cooked, strain, put back into the saucepan and crush roughly with a fork. Add 70ml olive oil and check the seasoning. Leave to one side.

To serve

Place slices of lamb rump on the plate and spoon over some salsa verde. Serve with the crushed potatoes and an accompanying vegetable.

Hot Lemon Soufflé

A soufflé is an event, a drama. It commands awe and attention. Warm, light and yet full of flavour, it’s one of the great, elegant desserts and so much easier to make than doubters might believe.

The base for this soufflé is a fresh and tangy lemon curd. The curd can be made several hours or even several days in advance, as long as it is well covered so that it doesn’t develop a skin. Then all you have to do is whip the egg whites and fold them in.

Serves 6

For the lemon curd:

• 200g caster sugar
• 100g butter
• 160ml lemon juice (from about 4–5 lemons)
• 7 egg yolks (reserve the whites for later)
• grated rind of 3 lemons

 For the egg white base:

• 8 egg whites
• 100g caster sugar
• icing sugar, to dust over the top
• whipped cream, to serve

Equipment:

6 individual soufflé dishes or ramekins, about 7cm deep and 9cm wide (though you can use smaller ramekins)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220°C, 200°C Fan, 425°F, Gas 7.

Using a pastry brush, butter the inside of the soufflé dishes. Put 2 tablespoons of sugar into the first ramekin and rotate so that the sugar adheres to the butter. Pour the excess sugar into the next dish and continue until all the soufflé dishes are buttered and sugared.

To make the lemon curd:

Place the sugar, butter and lemon juice in a medium saucepan and heat until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks, one by one.

Place the saucepan back on the heat and cook, stirring continuously over a low to medium heat, until the mixture thickens. Do not allow the mixture to boil.

When the lemon curd has thickened (it will thicken more when it cools), pass it through a strainer into a bowl and stir in the lemon zest. Place some cling film directly on the surface and allow to cool.

Keep at room temperature if you are planning to cook the soufflé within a couple of hours; otherwise, put it in the fridge when it has cooled.

To make the soufflé

Remove the lemon curd from the fridge so that it comes back to room temperature. About 30 minutes before serving, preheat the oven.

Beat the egg whites until they reach soft peaks and then sprinkle in the sugar. Beat again for about 20 seconds to soft peaks. Warm the lemon curd very slightly (either in a microwave or in a saucepan) and transfer to a separate bowl large enough to fold in the egg whites. Mix about a quarter of the egg whites into the curd. Fold the remaining egg whites into the lemon curd just until incorporated. Do not over mix or the egg whites will deflate.

Fill the soufflé dishes to the top and smooth the surface with a metal spatula so that it’s completely level with the edge of the dish. Run your thumb around the edge of the ramekin – this prevents the soufflés from catching on the edge as they rise.

Place the soufflé dishes on a baking tray, spacing them well apart. Place in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes for individual servings or about 20 minutes for a larger soufflé. The timings are only guidelines. What you are seeking is a soufflé that is set on the outside and still soft and almost creamy in the centre. Remove from the oven, dust with icing sugar and serve immediately with some whipped cream.