Fast Food for Easter – mains – my second thought

For the meat eaters – keep it simple – lamb shanks. Seal the shanks in a large frying pan and slow cook in lamb stock – as a guide, 4 shanks – cook for 4 hours. They can be cooked ahead and set aside, covered, to cool. When you are ready to serve place the shanks in a foil tray or any dish that has sides and brown in a pre-heated oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6 for 20-25 minutes. Check after 20 minutes - the shanks should have a roasted, crispy skin.

Serve the lamb with Pea and Spring Onion Champ or Colcannon. If you like the thought of either, the recipes for both are up next. If you don't want to be bothered then you can't go wrong with good old mashed potato, add salt and pepper, a generous knob of butter and add a couple of cloves of roasted garlic.

To serve - a generous helping of potato and then place the shank on top. The pinnacle of this gloriousness is the onion sauce that you're going to pour over the top.

One of the great marriages in my view – lamb and onions, particularly in sauce form. It may be considered old fashioned – don't knock it until you've tried it. Here's my recipe – there's nothing like making a sauce to sooth and take away the stresses and strains of life. Don't panic it really doesn't take long.

Quick Onion Sauce

3 medium onions, peeled and chopped – you should

see pieces of onion so not a fine dice

Glug of rapeseed oil and generous knob of butter

30g plain flour

500ml milk

Salt and white pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg - optional

Soften the onion in the oil and butter, sprinkle over the flour and stir continuously for 2/3 minutes to cook the flour. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously. Use a heatproof spatula to stir, you'll cover the base of the saucepan and stop the sauce from going lumpy.

Let the sauce boil when you've added all the milk, then remove from the heat and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. When cooled slightly place a sheet of clingfilm on top of the sauce to prevent a skin forming.

If you're not familiar with nutmeg have a go in this recipe, it really does work.

Happy Easter!