EASTER LAMB

Discover imaginative ways to cook different cuts of lamb in the new series of the BBC Good Food Podcast with Tom Kerridge

- TOM KERRIDGE

Tom Kerridge is a well-known face on the BBC and chef-owner of acclaimed restaurants in Marlow, London and Manchester. Hear more from Tom on his favourite seasonal ideas in the latest series of the BBC Good Food Podcast at bbcgoodfood.com/podcast. @Chef TomKerridge

Easter Sunday is a day when everyone chooses lamb. It has always been a pricier meat, because it's a more expensive animal to produce. As with beef and pork, so-called lesser cuts' are often the ones with the most flavour. If prepared correctly, they taste fantastic and have lovely texture. Breast of lamb is incredible; it's a bit like pork belly - a flat sheet of meat that needs to be braised because of the higher fat content. You can roll it or leave it flat. Shoulder is a stunning cut, too, especially slow-cooked on the bone. You can leave it in the oven for six hours and get on with whatever else you're doing.

One cut that's often overlooked is neck. It's located right at the top of the saddle and can be cooked to medium like a rack of lamb, but because it has good fat content, it also works well as a braise. If you can get whole pieces of neck, they'll look long and thin, a bit like lamb fillets. I like lamb with North African spices, and have given you a recipe packed with flavour, plus a few tips for other recipes and serving ideas.

One-pan lamb tagine with chickpeas

This is one of those recipes that becomes more flavoursome if it's made a day or two ahead, then reheated. It makes entertaining that little bit easier as a result.

SERVES 6 PREP 20 mins COOK 2 hrs 30 mins EASY *