Emily Hartley
Why British Spring Lamb Is Worth Waiting For
By the time the clocks go forward, the first new-season lamb is arriving in butchers' shops and farmers' markets, and it is genuinely different from the meat you have been cooking all winter. Spring lamb is typically under a year old and has been grazing on the first fresh grass of the year, which gives the fat a sweet, grassy, almost herbal quality. It needs less work than a mature hogget or mutton, but it rewards slow cooking just as generously.
The pairing with mint is not a culinary accident. Mint grows like a weed in the same months lamb comes into season, and its cool, sharp oils cut through the richness of the meat beautifully. Add lemon and new potatoes and you have a Sunday lunch that tastes entirely of late April, and one that does not need much beyond a bowl of something green.
Choosing the Right Cut for the Job
The cut you buy should be decided by how much time you have, not by what looks fanciest. A few reliable options:
- Shoulder — on the bone, rolled or butterflied. The best cut for slow roasting if you are feeding a crowd. It is forgiving, full of connective tissue and practically cooks itself.
- Leg — the classic roast, but also brilliant sliced into steaks for the griddle. Ask for the bone removed and kept for stock.
- Loin chops — quick, sweet and ideal for a midweek grilling session in the garden.
- Neck fillet — an underrated braising cut that turns meltingly soft in about two hours.
- Shanks — one per person, braised until the meat gives way at the touch of a fork.
Look for fat that is creamy white rather than yellow, and ask when the lamb was slaughtered — a week of resting in the fridge does wonders for flavour and texture. If the weather turns and you cannot face the barbecue, everything here works equally well indoors.
Mint: Grow It, Pick It, Don't Let It Take Over
Mint is the easiest herb in Britain to grow and the easiest to regret. Plant it in a pot sunk into the border, or in a large container on its own, because its runners will travel across a whole bed given half a season. Spearmint is the one you want for sauce; Moroccan mint makes a superb cup of tea; and a peppermint will see you through the summer in cold drinks.
Pick from the top of each stem rather than stripping the base, and take a good handful every week — regular cutting keeps the plant bushy and stops it bolting. A pot by the back door means you can grab a sprig while the potatoes are draining. Fresh mint loses its punch quickly once chopped, so add it at the very last second, or steep whole sprigs in the sauce and fish them out.
Three Ways to Cook It: Slow Roast, Grill or Braise
All three methods work with the same flavour base: mint, lemon zest, garlic and good olive oil. What changes is the heat and the patience required.
- Slow roast. Take a 2kg bone-in shoulder, score the fat, rub it with oil, crushed garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper, and sit it on a bed of halved onions. Roast at 160°C (140°C fan) for about four and a half hours, covered for the first three. It should pull apart with two forks. Leave it to rest for twenty minutes under foil while the potatoes finish.
- Grill. Season loin chops or leg steaks simply, then cook over medium-high heat for three to four minutes a side for pink meat. Let them rest five minutes. Squeeze lemon over just before serving and scatter torn mint leaves.
- Braise. Brown neck fillet or shanks, soften onions and carrots in the same pan, add a glass of white wine, a pint of stock, a strip of lemon zest and a handful of mint. Cover and cook at 160°C for two hours, until the sauce has thickened and the meat is spoon-soft.
The Rest of the Plate: New Potatoes, Lemon and Good Gravy
New potatoes need nothing more than boiling in well-salted water with a sprig of mint and a couple of unpeeled garlic cloves. Drain them, let the steam escape for a minute, then toss with butter and more mint. If you want something sharper, dress them warm with lemon juice, olive oil and a little grain mustard while they are still steaming — they will drink it up.
Make the gravy in the roasting tin on the hob: spoon off most of the fat, add a tablespoon of plain flour, cook it out for a minute, then splash in stock and a little white wine, scraping up every sticky bit. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a spoonful of redcurrant or mint jelly. For a proper mint sauce, chop a large handful of leaves finely, cover with two tablespoons of white wine vinegar, stir in a teaspoon of caster sugar and a pinch of salt, and leave it twenty minutes before serving.
Turn Lunch Into a Family Day Out
A slow-roast shoulder is the perfect anchor for a day out, because it needs almost no attention once it is in the oven. Put it in before you leave, set a timer, and spend the afternoon outdoors. Many farm parks and country centres run lambing weekends through March and April, where children can bottle-feed orphan lambs and see ewes with their newborns — worth ringing ahead, as the busiest days sell out.
Late April and early May is also bluebell season, and a walk through a local wood is one of the best free afternoons of the year. Stick to the paths, keep dogs on leads, and take a flask. Alternatively, a farmers' market on a Saturday morning is a genuinely good family outing: let the children choose the potatoes, sniff the herbs and pick which chutney comes home.
Back at the table, carve the lamb in thick slices, spoon over the juices, and pass the mint sauce round. Any leftovers are excellent cold on Monday, stuffed into warm flatbreads with yoghurt, cucumber and a little more mint. That, more than anything, is what spring cooking in Britain is for.
