Main: Racks of Lamb with Honey Citrus Glaze $$$
Women’s Weekly Light & Luscious
Dessert: Strawberries & Cream Roll Cake
Adam Liaw (Sunday Life Magazine)
Hello Everyone!
Well Xmas is creeping up on us very quickly and this menu is a fabulous, easy and yet spectacular feast for your pre Xmas get together. I have gone back to the Women’s Weekly Light & Luscious because you can’t beat these books for simple and impressive. Now, before I go on I need to tell you that the racks were certainly not cheap. This is one of those “special night” meals and I call a pre-xmas get together with the besties very special. Okay, so gorgeous racks from your favourite butcher cooked to your liking whilst being glazed with combined orange rind and juice, lemon juice, honey, dry sherry, soy sauce and garlic.
Then you make a gravy from the drippings! Yummmmmm!!!!! Now, whilst this alone was a huge winner with everyone, the jewel in the crown was a Potato & Parsnip Al Forno (with hazelnuts, thyme & garlic) which I found in the November Woolies magazine. It is truly an indulgent-feeling side dish. You get your hands in amongst it when you prepare it by just mooshing up all the ingredients in the dish and then laying it out evenly to bake. Very rustic. The smell throughout the house whilst it is cooking is to die for.
I made this ahead of time so that I was able to cook the racks at the correct temperature and then just warmed the bake up whilst the racks were finishing off. One thing I will say here is that the cheese suggested for the topping (mature Leicester cheese) was quite pricey so I went for a less expensive cheese with a good bite such as a Mersey Valley. Add a few crispy bits of bacon and this side dish would knock them dead on Xmas day and feeds about 10. I served simple steamed baby asparagus and broccolini on the side. This meal received 10/10 however, the MAV was not happy with a variation on the usual potato bake. Humph.
Don’t know about you but I always check the recipes by Adam Liaw in the Sunday Life Magazine. This delicate roll cake was introduced to him by a friend (and you know I love getting recipes from friends). It is easy to make and can be done in the morning of your special dinner. The only thing I changed was to marinate the strawberries in a little Grand Marnier. I then drained them very carefully before laying them along the roll because I didn’t want it to be soggy.
A note here is to be careful when spreading the cake base so that you get it nice and even to prevent any splitting when you roll it. It’s a dessert that leaves you feeling satisfied that you’ve had something sweet but without that often nauseated tummy at the end of a big meal. 10/10 and the MAV fought for the leftovers.
It’s sounding a lot like Xmas so give this one a go.
Until next week…
From my table to yours with love x
