Darina Allen's Easter feast: How to make the perfect roast lamb with all the trimmings

Method

1. Cut off the tops and tips, scrub and peel thinly if necessary. Cut into slices 1/2 inch (7mm) thick, either straight across or at an angle. Leave very young carrots whole.

2. Put them in a saucepan with butter, water, salt and sugar. Bring to the boil, cover and cook over a gentle heat until tender, by which time the liquid should have all been absorbed into the carrots, but if not remove the lid and increase the heat until all the water has evaporated. Taste and correct the seasoning. Shake the saucepan so the carrots become coated with the buttery glaze.

3. Serve in a hot vegetable dish sprinkled with chopped parsley or mint.

4. Tip: It's really important to cut the carrots into the same thickness, otherwise they will cook unevenly. You must keep a close eye on them so they don't burn, particularly if it's your first time.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6. In a 4 pint baking dish sprinkle the garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the milk, cream, slices of butter and place the dish in the oven to heat. Meanwhile peel and thinly slice potatoes.

2. When the milk is bubbling on the edges, remove baking dish, strew in sliced potatoes, sprinkle with cheese, return to the hot oven and bake 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

3. For a smaller amount use 700g (1 ½ lbs) potatoes, 1 garlic clove, less salt and pepper, 230ml (8floz) mixed cream and milk 1oz butter and 1oz cheese.

Method

1. Line a 9 -10 inch (23-25.5cm) tart tin or 6 x 10cm (4 inch) tartlet tins Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

2. First make the pastry: Sieve the flour and sugar into a bowl, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour with the fingertips. Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt the finished pastry may be tough. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stop.

3. Whisk the egg. Take a fork or knife (whichever you feel most comfortable with) and add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then discard the fork and collect the pastry into a ball with your hands. This way you can judge more accurately if you need a few more drops of liquid. Although slightly damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven.

4. The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crisper, ‘shorter’ crust. Cover and rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

5. Line the tart or tartlet tins with pastry. Chill. Bake blind in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes approximately until the pastry is three quarters cooked, remove from the oven. Take out the baking beans, brush with beaten egg wash and place back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Allow to cool.

6. Fill with chopped rhubarb and sprinkle generously with 75-110g (3-4oz) sugar before adding the crumble topping. Next make the crumble: Rub the butter into the flour and sugar to make a coarse crumble. Add chopped almonds. Spread the crumble over the top of the rhubarb. Bake in a preheated oven

7. 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 until fully cooked, which should take about 45 minutes.

8. Serve warm or cold with a bowl of softly whipped cream or custard.