Find your perfect Easter lamb to suit your time, budget, convenience or desire to show off! Just follow the prompts and Iβll guide you to your perfect lamb recipe. Welcome to the Easter Lamb Matchmaker! π
Finding the perfect lamb recipe for Easter
Every year leading up to Easter, my friends start messaging me asking which lamb recipe they should make for Easter Sunday. I always fire back questions β how many people, make on day or before, high or low budget, do you want rosy pink slices or fall-apart meat? Based on that, I point them to the lamb that suits them best.
So this year, I thought it might be helpful to turn that little back-and-forth into a guide so I can point you to your perfect Easter Lamb recipe! Hope you find this useful. π
βοΈTOP TIP βοΈ
Lamb leg is more economical than shoulder. A 2.5kg leg serves 8β10, while a 2.5kg shoulder serves 4β5, because slow-cooked shoulder loses more weight. Leg though is best served freshly made. Shoulder however can be made ahead, will reheat 100% perfectly, and is very hands off.
Easter Lamb Matchmaker
To use this matchmaker, answer the questions below and they will lead you to the Easter lamb that suits your needs. Note: These are for centrepiece lamb mains rather than things like skewers, meatballs and stews like Tagine. For my complete collection of lamb recipes, see Lamb Recipes.
1. HANDS OFF OR HANDS ON?
The first point of order is: Do you want something mostly hands-off, or are you happy to be more involved? Think set-and-forget, fall-apart slow cooker roast lamb leg (ie. low effort) versus a blushing pink oven roast lamb-leg that needs to be monitored and best served straight away (ie. more hands-on).
I want hands-off β Go to question 2.
Iβm happy with hands-on β Skip to question 5.
2. do you want something make-ahead?
Hands-off it is! Now, do you want a hands-off lamb recipe that can be made the day before? Or one you can make on the day and serve hot without reheating?
Yes, I want something I can make-ahead β Go to question 3.
No, I can cook on the day and serve without reheating. β Read on β¬οΈ
ππ YOU HAVE BEEN MATCHED! ππ Your perfect lamb recipes that are hands-off to cook but best served freshly made on the day are:
Slow cooked lamb legs β Either a whole leg slow-roasted in the oven or a half leg in the slow cooker. Because lamb legs are quite lean, even when they are slow-cooked to fall-off-the-bone tender, they are still best served freshly made.
Slow cooked lamb shanks in red wine sauce, port braised, Massaman Curry or Persian. Note: lamb shanks are also brilliant made the day before as well!
A 3 hour slow-roasted lamb shoulder. Though if you get up early enough, you could do the 12 hour lamb shoulder in time for Easter Sunday dinner! Both are equally low-maintenance to cook.
3. DO YOU WANT PLATED OR SHARE STYLE?
Cooking for a crowd is definitely less stressful when you make-ahead π. Now, do you want a lamb recipe where people help themselves (share-style) or one that is suitable for individual plating?
I want share-style β Go to question 4.
I want something I can serve individually plated β Read on β¬οΈ
ππ YOU HAVE BEEN MATCHED! ππ Your perfect lamb matches that can be made the day before, then reheated for serving and plated individually are:
Slow cooked lamb shanks in red wine sauce, port braised, Massaman Curry or Persian
4. DO YOU WANT CLASSIC LAMB FLAVOURS OR EXOTIC?
Of course you want share-style β itβs the best way to eat! But do you want a lamb with traditional flavours like garlic, rosemary and oregano, or do you want a lamb with bold and exciting flavours, like Middle Eastern or Massaman curry??
I want classic flavours! β Read on β¬οΈ
ππ YOU HAVE BEEN MATCHED! ππ Both these recipes are made for sharing and can be made ahead (even the day before) and refrigerated. To serve, simply reheat β without any loss of quality or juiciness of meat. These are very rare characteristics in the roast world!
3 hour slow-roasted rosemary garlic lamb shoulder with gravy; or
The ultimate 12 hour slow-roasted lamb shoulder with garlic and oregano and jus β the creme de la creme of all my roast lamb recipes
I want exotic flavours! β Read on β¬οΈ
ππ YOU HAVE BEEN MATCHED! ππ These can be made the day before then reheated on the day-of.
Lamb Shanks Massaman Curry β 10 minute prep, βdump and bakeβ (reader favourite!)
Fall-apart Massaman Lamb Shoulder β 5 minute prep βdump and bakeβ
Middle Eastern Shoulder with with all the trimmings in Tonight (page 251, photo preview here).
5. FOR HANDS-ON, do you want SHARE-STYLE OR MORE REFINED?
For those who have time for hands-on cooking on the day-of, do you want a lamb main that isΒ big, hearty and made for sharing with a group 6+, or somethingΒ smaller and a little more refined?
I want big and hearty lamb main on a sharing platter β Read on β¬οΈ
ππ YOU HAVE BEEN MATCHED! ππ Donβt disappear on a deep forest Easter-egg hunt for hours towards the end of the cooking time of these, but your sacrifice will be rewarded with XX
Greek BBQ Butterflied Lamb Leg β 20 minute cook time, great for BBQ
Moroccan Lamb Backstraps β 8 minute cook time, also great for BBQ!
I want something more refined for a smaller group. β Read on β¬οΈ
ππ YOU HAVE BEEN MATCHED! ππ Here are your perfect lamb recipes:
Lamb racks ($$$) β Either Rosemary Crumbed Rack of Lamb, or a Herb and Garlic Marinated Lamb Rack. Donβt make me choose for you! Both are amazing! (Though the crumbed one is a little more hands-on with the prep).
Rosemary Garlic Lamb Cutlets β I know this is a bit of an outlier because itβs cutlets rather than a roast, but Iβve included this because they are a premium cut for special occasions. This is pretty much the only way I cook lamb cutlets. The better the meat, the simpler the flavours!
Hope you found your perfect match!
Truthfully, I feel like you canβt go wrong with any of these lamb recipes, itβs more about which recipe will suit your needs.
As for my first pick? Always the 12 hour lamb shoulder for succulent meat and a rich flavour thatβs superior to leg, plus itβs re-heatable. I often roast it in disposable foil trays for transporting convenience. To reheat, Iβll do it covered in the oven if time permits, else Iβll pop it in the microwave (YES I DO!) If Iβm short on time to cook, Iβll do the 3 hour roast version of the shoulder. And if Iβm really short on prep time, Iβll do the 5 minute prep Massaman Shoulder, which I actually just did for a lunch last weekend for that exact reason.
When an occasion calls for a carving moment or where I want one large roast to serve 10 people though, I will do a classic Roast Lamb Leg with all the trimmings. I do love a good lamb leg!
Hope you enjoyed this Matchmaker. Now, go meet your perfect lamb match β no awkward first dates required! β Nagi x
Remembering Dozer
Nothing could have prepared me for this. I never in a million years would have imagined Iβd be filling my home with artworks of Dozer gifted to me by readers. They came over the weeks, each one arriving with so much love and care it honestly stopped me in my tracks and had me bawling when I opened them.
I made a little video about these artworks I thought you might like to see:
I have a gazillion photos of Dozer, but these hold a special meaning that only something handmade can. I will be putting them up in my home and will treasure them forever.
With heartfelt thanks to the talented artists:
1. Michelle Jung from MJ Draws Dog
2. Robyn Ross
4. Rachel Somers
5. Roslyn Elms
I framed them all extra big so they have presence! Many thanks to Sydney Picture Frames in West Ryde for the wonderful job they did with the framing β friendly, great advice, fast turnaround and value.
Hi Nagi,
what a great way to remember Dozer! Thanks for sharing!
Such a special way to remember him, Heather β Iβm really glad I can share it with you. β€οΈ β N x
Iβm not crying- youβre crying!! π₯Ήπ₯Ήπ₯Ή
I know, right?! π₯Ήβ€οΈ β N x
Lovely art! So thoughtful of them to create beautiful treasures for you to cherish! Thank you for sharing them with us!
I really do feel so lucky Pam, they really are treasures. And Iβm glad I could share them with you too. β€οΈ β N x
Such lovely artworksβ¦brings tears to my eyes.xx
And so many tears over here too π₯Ή
.,,thoughtful gifts !!!of Love !!! Beautiful ,,,,
The past 2 years I have made your slow cooker roast lamb with gravy and it is outstanding. I have tried multiple recipes over the years with my family just tolerating the results. With this recipe, my family and friends look forward to the lamb and fight over the leftovers. Great job!
This is the best kind of feedback β βfight over the leftoversβ is exactly what weβre aiming for! π So glad itβs become a regular for you. β N x
They really are β so much love poured into every single one. β€οΈ β N x
Oh my gosh. Just beautiful tributes to Dozer. My boy is 15 and I am enjoying every moment of his senior years. He makes me laugh every day. I try not to dwell on what will come as I have been through it before. All my wishes for your healing Nagi.
Cherish every day Sherie. If heβs still making you laugh every day, youβre doing it right! β€οΈ β N x
The framing took the artwork from wonderful to truly outstanding. In my 72 years I have never tried lamb but I really want to try the low and slow shoulder. Up here, lamb isnβt an item at the grocer but weβll get one. Take care, eh.
That low and slow shoulder will be a great place to start β very forgiving and so worth it once you try it! π β N x
Oh, the cleansing tears when I see anything Dozer related. If he was anything he was a best-loved pup. Thank you for sharing the beautiful artwork, Nagi!
Cleansing tears is exactly it β then somehow a smile sneaks in too thinking about all his antics. β€οΈ β N x
Itβs all about the love, isnβt it? You and Dozer shared such a great love; that love jumped right out from our screens; your readers caught the love and poured it into their artwork; now your walls are filled with love. Beautiful.β€οΈ
It really is β it just keeps going and coming back in different ways. Feels pretty special to have that on my walls. β€οΈ β N x
Hi Nagi, I watched the video and looked at the hand drawn pictures and photos with tears of joy for you in my heart. I miss darling Dozer too. It is heart breaking while knowing we have to let go. With love, Melπ
Thatβs exactly it β a mix of tears and smiles at the same time. He really had a way of leaving a mark on all of us. β€οΈ β N x
What lovely people you have on this recipe media, to remember Dozer, to take the time and draw you pictures to uplift your spirit.
I will be making one of your lambs recipe on Easter Sunday. God bless you, Nagi.
It really is so thoughtful β people taking the time to create something so personal. I feel so humbled π₯Ή Hope you find a lamb recipe you love this Easter! π β N x
Wow absolutely stunning art works. Captured the special love you had for each other. X
They really do β€οΈ β N x
You and Dozer are loved π.
Happy Easter to the entire Recipe Tins Teamπ£
Thank you β and Happy Easter to you too! π£β€οΈ β N x
Dear Nagi & the recipe tin eats team! βHappy Easter!β
Another stunning choice of Lamb recipes, I cant wait to try!
What a special, talented bunch of artist, they really captured the essence of a much loved Dozer!
Very Special memmories, they will find pride & place, in your home!
He will never be forgotten! πΎ
Such a special thing to have in my home β little pieces of him everywhere. And glad you enjoyed the lamb options too! π β N x
Havenβt checked the recipe out yet β will do β but went straight to the Dozer section as Iβm sure did many others. What fabulous keepsakes for you Nagi! Kudos to these fab artists. π
Haha I think Dozer first has always been the unofficial rule!! β€οΈ β N x
Nagi⦠you your relationship with those are and your wonderful recipes have touched my heart all the way from Australia to Naples, Florida. You will have loving memories of your wonderful dog forever. God bless you and Dozier.
Thatβs so lovely to hear β from Australia all the way to Florida! β€οΈ Heβll always be part of everything I do. β N x
So many delightful, beautiful and precious memories of your special friend.
Little snapshots of all the moments β and mischief!! β€οΈ β N x
The artworks are beautiful and catch the essence of Dozer and you β you can feel the special attachment you had with each other.
Such a cute idea for easter meals matchmaker! Im a slow roast gal all the way but now im going to have to try the curried legs and the butterflies greek leg!
Slow roast gal is a strong position β but I love that youβre branching out! π The curried leg and Greek butterflied one are both very good choices. β N x
a wonderful tribute to your love storyβ¦you have both been captured well. Thanks for all the delicious food and off course Dozer
Thatβs such a nice way to put it β a love story captured in so many different ways. β€οΈ β N x
4 years today we lost our Goldie Harry. We still miss him every single day. He was family like no other.
How special for you to have these truly beautiful artworks of Dozer.
Thank you for the clever post. Great way to sort the Easter lamb .
Four years β¦ that says everything about how special he was. β€οΈ And yes, these artworks feel like such a gift to hold onto. β N x