Shoulder of lamb with pistachio salsa verde

Preparation time : 10 minutes plus marinating

Cooking time : 35 minutes

Total time : 45 minutes plus marinating

Serves : 6

Ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp grated fresh turmeric* or 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar
• 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1.2kg boned shoulder of lamb
• handful watercress, to garnish

PISTACHIO SALSA VERDE

• 50g roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 8 mint leaves, roughly chopped
• small bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 4 salad onions, finely sliced
• 4 tbsp extra virgin vegetable oil , plus extra if storing

*selected stores

Method

1. during a blender, whizz the garlic, spices, chilli, sugar, onion, oil and a pinch of sea salt to a paste. Unroll the lamb; rub with the paste and leave for a minimum of quarter-hour , or chill for up to 24 hours. (If chilling, remove of the fridge half-hour before cooking.)

2. For the salsa verde, put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or so to macerate. If not using at once, spoon into a container, pour in enough oil to cover by 0.5cm and seal with a tight- fitting lid. Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.

3. Preheat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4. Heat a griddle or frypan until hot (or use the barbecue), and cook the lamb skin-side down for 6-8 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray and roast within the oven for quarter-hour , until just pink. Rest on a board, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes. Serve sliced, with the salsa verde and watercress.

Heston's lamb burger

‘A lamb burger makes a great change from beef burgers – the smell of lamb cooking on a grill is irresistible, especially if you then serve it up with some earthy sauteed mushrooms and crunchy, flavourful crispy onions.’ Heston Blumenthal


Makes: 4

Ingredients

For the crispy onion:

• 1 small onion
• 40g breadcrumbs
• 300g grapeseed oil

For the mushrooms:

• 10g unsalted butter
• 100g white button mushrooms, sliced
• Salt

To finish:

• 2 packs Heston from Waitrose
• 2 Lamb & Cucumber Burgers*
• Tomato ketchup
• 4 wholemeal buns, slightly toasted
• 1 head little gem lettuce, leaves washed
• 1 tomato sliced

Method

1. For the onions: peel and slice the onion and toss it during a bowl with the breadcrumbs, until completely coated. Pour the oil into a medium-size pan over high heat and permit to return to 180ºC. Sprinkle the coated onions within the oil and fry for a couple of seconds until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the oil and place on a tray lined with kitchen paper to empty any excess oil.

2. For the mushrooms: melt the butter during a frypan over medium heat until it starts bubbling. Add mushrooms, a pinch of salt and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and check the seasoning. Set aside, ready for the burger.

3. Cook the lamb burgers consistent with pack instructions. To finish: place some catsup sauce on rock bottom half the burger bun. Place the lamb burger on top. Add some of the little gem lettuce leaves, tomato slices, mushrooms, sliced onions and a little more of the sauce. Sprinkle the crispy onions on top before placing the top half of the bun on top.

Beef & portabella mushroom lasagne

Preparation time  : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 45 minutes

Total time : 55 minutes 55 minutes

Serves : 4

Ingredients

• Butter for greasing
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 275g pack Waitrose Portabella Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 400g pack Waitrose Aberdeen Angus Beef
• Mince 10% Fat
• 500g passata
• 1 x 28g Knorr Beef Stock Pot
• 300g pack essential Waitrose Fresh Lasagne Sheets
• 350g tub fresh Waitrose Four Cheese Sauce
• 1 tbsp grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5 and butter a medium-sized baking dish. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil during a large frypan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for 3–4 minutes, then remove from the pan and put aside . Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onion and carrot for 3–4 minutes, then add the crushed garlic and fry for an additional minute.

2. Add the meat mince, stirring over a medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes until browned, then add the passata and stir through the Knorr Stock Pot.

3. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a single layer of lasagne sheets. Spoon on a layer of meat sauce, then a layer of 4 white sauce and scatter over some mushrooms. Arrange a layer of lasagne sheets on top of the mixture and repeat the layers to the top of the dish, finishing with a layer of lasagne sheets topped with the remaining cheese sauce and a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano.

4. Bake for 30–35 minutes. Cover with foil towards the top , once the highest is golden brown. Allow to face for a couple of minutes before serving.

Make individual portions of the lasagne in small pie dishes. They look really appealing and you'll freeze them too. Simply defrost completely before heating through within the oven.

Steak & chips with celeriac remoulade

Preparation time : 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Total time : 45 minutes

Serves : 2

Ingredients

350g frozen essential Waitrose French Fries
250g Waitrose Celeriac, peeled
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp essential Waitrose sour cream or crème fraîche
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
250g Waitrose Hand-cut British Beef Bavette Steak
1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7. Spread the chips on an oven tray and cook consistent with pack instructions, until golden.

2. Meanwhile, employing a mandolin or the coarse grater attachment on your kitchen appliance , shred the celeriac. Transfer to a bowl and stir within the juice .

3. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream or crème fraîche, mustard and chives together and season. Fold the mixture through the celeriac and set aside.

4. Heat a griddle pan until smoking. Brush the steaks with the vegetable oil and season. Cook on the griddle for 2 minutes each side, for rare, or 3 minutes for medium. Transfer the steak to a warm plate and rest for five minutes. Serve the steaks with the chips and celeriac remoulade, and additional Dijon mustard on the side.

Cook’s tip
To check the steak is cooked the way you wish , from rare to well done, press the meat together with your finger: for rare it should be spongy and soft with juices flowing, slightly springy with a touch pink juice means medium, and firm meat with no pink means it’s well done.