Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Lamb is traditionally served on Easter Sunday as part of a roast, and top chef Neven Maguire says it doesn’t have to be difficult to be delicious. There are many ways to cook a tasty and fragrant lamb roast. Neven recommends a leg of lamb, especially for those cooking dinner for a big group. However, for those who want meat that’s really easy to cook and slice, he says butterfly lamb from the butcher is the best bet. He told the Irish Mirror: “Irish lamb is some of the best lamb in the world, it’s grass-fed, it's fantastic. I like lamb, lamb is glorious. And what I like to do is cook a leg of lamb with some sliced potatoes and onions. “It’s called Boulangére and then add some stock and some herbs and it's just, I suppose it's a lovely showcase of great Irish produce.” For the herbs, the Cavan chef, 50, recommends popping in some rosemary and garlic in the pot so the flavours seep into the meat. He added: “If you are having eight to 10 people, a big leg of lamb will happily feed everyone. Lamb is very versatile. If you get a butterfly lamb, which means it’s boned out and flattened, you can put in some lovely ginger, garlic, chili and spices. “I would also roast any kind of meat with some lovely vegetables like onions, carrots, maybe a bit of celery, and that will flavour your gravy.” The cook also recommends popping some rosemary and garlic and a hint of mint to make a gorgeous and fragrant gravy. Mint sauce is also traditionally served with lamb, but Neven admits that he isn’t the biggest fan. The chef, who owns the award-winning McNean House and Restaurant in Blacklion, Cavan, is firmly of the opinion that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be tasty. For those that want to minimise their time cooking in the kitchen this Easter Sunday, he recommends keeping the sides simple, but being organised. He said: “Less is more so maybe like a lovely buttery mash that can be prepared the day ahead and maybe some roasties, and that's enough. “Maybe some nice glazed carrots and some buttered peas. You don't need to overcomplicate it with too much choice.” For starters, Nevin recommends a goat's cheese salad, prawns and chorizo or a simple grazing board. He added: “Antipasti with some nice bread and sourdough, some nice parma ham and cheese is a really nice way of grazing and enjoying and a nice party vibe so people can enjoy, and there’s very little cooking in that.” For an Easter-inspired desert, the television chef has two gorgeous options- a chocolate mousse and a lemon curd cheesecake. He added: “Traditionally at Easter, chocolate is the big thing, so a chocolate mousse is beautiful. I mix it up [every Easter]. I also have a really nice recipe for a lemon curd cheesecake and it’s lovely and light.” However, the chef isn’t keeping his Easter Sunday dinner traditional this year and is opting for duck. He said: “Easter is about tradition a lot like Christmas, but I was speaking to someone that is going to have turkey and ham. And, I am going to have a roast duck that is locally produced and I am going to have it with a honey and clove sauce and veg and some mash and it’ll be delicious.” For those who don’t eat lamb or duck, Neven says you can’t go wrong with a classic chicken roast dinner. He said: “A nice roast chicken is glorious and if you kind of jazz it up with a little bit of lemon, garlic and rosemary, it's so tasty. And it’s good value too, so if you get a nice roast chicken, it's beautiful.” Neven's Easter recipe's below: Fragrant Butterflied Lamb This is one of my favourite ways to serve lamb – it is very easy to cook and can be carved in seconds. Get your butcher to do the hard work of cutting out the bone, and ask him to remove the parchment-like covering on the skin, too. I like lamb slightly undercooked and served pink; if it’s overdone, you can call it slow-cooked, and no one will be any the wiser! Serves 4 2–2.5kg leg of lamb, boned and well trimmed, roughly 4–5cm thick 25g chopped fresh mint, plus extra to garnish finely grated rind and juice of 2 lemons 4 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp ground coriander 2 tsp paprika 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper 1 tsp cayenne pepper 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional) 1 sprig fresh rosemary (optional) good pinch of sea salt Place the lamb in a shallow non-metallic dish. Mix the remaining ingredients, except the salt and pomegranate seeds, and rub over the meat. Cover with cling film and chill overnight or, if time is short, leave to stand at room temperature for 2–3 hours, turning the lamb over from time to time. When you are ready to cook, if the lamb has been chilled overnight, bring it back to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 240°C (475°F/Gas Mark 9) or light a barbecue; if using a charcoal barbecue, light it 45 minutes before you want to start cooking; if using a gas barbecue, light it 10 minutes beforehand. If cooking in the oven, place the lamb, cut-side up, on a rack in a large roasting tin and season with salt. For rare meat, roast for 25–30 minutes. For medium-rare meat, roast for 35–40 minutes, turning over halfway through. If barbecuing, cook the lamb over medium-hot coals for about 50 minutes for medium-rare lamb, turning occasionally. Remove the lamb from the oven or barbecue, and leave it to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. If you don’t like your lamb too pink, you can cover it with foil at this point, and it will continue to cook. Carve into slices and arrange on plates, drizzling any juices from the tin. Scatter over some mint to garnish, then add the pomegranate seeds and fresh rosemary, if using. Smashed Roast Potatoes This is a great way to roast potatoes, because you can parboil and crush them well ahead of time. Douse them in the flavoured olive oil and leave them to cook longer than you’d think they need – they come out exquisitely crisp and golden. Serves 4–6 500g baby new potatoes (such as Charlotte) 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 25g butter 1 garlic bulb, separated into cloves and lightly bashed in their skins 4 fresh thyme sprig, leaves stripped from stems sea salt flakes Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6). Put the potatoes in a large pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes until tender. Drain and leave to steam dry for a few minutes. Arrange the potatoes in a large shallow baking tin, leaving enough space between each one so they have room to spread once smashed. Using the back of a large spoon or a potato masher, push down on each of the potatoes to make them crack open, then season with salt. Heat the oil, butter, garlic and thyme in a small pan, and drizzle the mixture over the potatoes. Roast for 1 hour, turning once about half way through, until the potatoes are crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and pile on to a platter. Garnish with a little salt to serve. Honey-Glazed Spiced Carrots with Pistachio & Dill This is such a beautiful dish: baby carrots glistening in spicy caramelised juices… just stunning! My preference is to use baby carrots (no peeling or chopping involved, other than trimming their little tops), but you can also slice regular carrots into batons. Serves 4–6 50g shelled pistachio nuts 400g baby rainbow carrots 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling 2 tbsp raw Irish honey 2 tsp spicy red pepper and herb seasoning handful fresh dill sprigs sea salt Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4). Put the pistachio nuts in a roasting tin and toast for 5 minutes, then tip on to a chopping board and roughly chop. Scrub the carrots and trim the tops. Put in a roasting tin with the oil and season with salt. Roast for 30 minutes. Mix the honey with the spicy pepper and herb seasoning. Drizzle over the roasted carrots and cook for another 10 minutes until soft and caramelised. Arrange the carrots on a serving platter, drizzling over any juices left in the tin and a little extra oil. Scatter over the dill sprigs and pistachio nuts to serve. Chocolate Mousse Cups Who doesn’t like a good chocolate mousse? Light yet delicious, this classic can be made in minutes with just a few ingredients – and it’s perfect for easy entertaining after a long, luxurious meal. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or, for a pretty spectacle, with summer berries and fresh mint leaves. Serves 4 225g plain chocolate, broken into squares (minimum 55% cocoa solids) 3 eggs 2 tbsp Coole Swan Irish cream liqueur (or use Grand Marnier, whiskey, Malibu or crème de menthe) 300ml cream a selection of berries (such as raspberries, strawberries and pomegranate seeds), to decorate a few sprigs of mint, to decorate Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the eggs with the liqueur in a separate bowl over a pan of simmering water until double in size. It is very important to ensure the water does not boil or it will cook the eggs. Fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, then leave to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the cream in a bowl, fold into the chocolate mixture, then put into stemmed glasses or teacups using a spatula. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 2–3 hours or overnight. Spoon over the berries and add a sprig of mint to serve. 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