There can't be many people busier this year than Donal Skehan. Not only has he just launched his new book,
Kitchen Hero, he's been filming the accompanying TV series since January in his own home!
I joined him for the last few days of filming at the end of March (mainly to stuff my face but also to work) and was blown away by the amount of hard graft and attention to detail that goes into each episode.
There will be a behind the scenes post soon but there was one recipe in particular I wanted to share as it's perfect for this time of year.
On the last day of shooting Donal cooked a gorgeous roast lamb dinner for his family. I've tried loads of recipes for roasting a leg of lamb, but this one is so simple I urge you to give it a go!
INGREDIENTS
1 leg of lamb
A few fresh rosemary sprigs
A few cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
250ml lamb stock
1 onion
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas Mark 4
Slice the onion into thick slices and place on the bottom of a large roasting tray. Place the lamb on top of the onions and, using a sharp knife, make holes all over the lamb (about 2-3cm apart). Now slice the garlic into thick spikes and insert into each hole with a small sprig of rosemary.
Drizzle with a little olive oil, season generously with sea salt and black pepper, and it's ready to go in the oven. Roast the lamb for 25-30 minutes per 450g (1lb) for medium rare.
This is the time to get your veggies sorted. Donal cooked dauphinoise potatoes (recipe also in his book) but roasties always go down well and carrots and anything else you fancy.
Transfer the cooked lamb to a serving dish, cover with foil and allow to rest for at least 10-15 minutes. To make the gravy, tip the juices to one corner of the roasting tray and spoon the fat off the top. Place the tray on the hob and add the stock. Bring to the boil and whisk ensuring you incorporate all the caramelised meat juices from the tray. To thicken add a little roux (equal amounts of butter and flour mixed together) while it comes to a boil. Decant into a gravy jug and you're ready to serve!
Unfortunately there was only enough to feed Donal's family so the crew were left to look on in desperation!
Only joking, there was plenty left over, and after a full days shoot we all finally sat down at 9pm. The lamb was absolutely delicious as were the dauphinoise potatoes and yet so simple. You MUST give this a go.
Donal's book Kitchen Hero is available to buy now through most good book shops. To buy it on Amazon
click here
For the first time in 5 years the apple tree in my garden has burst into life with an abundance of eatable fruit, probably due to the miserable wet summer we've had. I'm sick of the lack of sun and heat, and the final straw came on Friday when my heating turned itself on. Ridiculous! 
