MARY BERRY RACK OF LAMB RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins. Use a piece of baking paper to rub a little butter around the inside of the tins until the sides and base are lightly coated, then line the bottom with a circle of baking paper.
• Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, then add the sugar, flour, baking powder and butter. Mix together until well combined with an electric hand mixer (you can also use a wooden spoon), but be careful not to over mix. Put a damp cloth under your bowl when you’re mixing to stop it moving around. The finished mixture should fall off a spoon easily.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the tins: this doesn’t need to be exact, but you can weigh the filled tins if you want to check. Use a spatula to remove all of the mixture from the bowl and gently smooth the surface of the cakes.
• Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 minutes. Check them after 20 minutes. The cakes are done when they’re golden-brown and coming away from the edge of the tins. Press them gently to check – they should be springy to the touch. Set aside to cool in their tins for 5 minutes. Run a palette or rounded butter knife around the inside edge of the tins and carefully turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
• To assemble the cake, place one cake upside down onto a plate and spread it with plenty of jam. If you want to, you can spread over whipped cream too. Top with the second cake, top-side up. Sprinkle over the caster sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 (200C Fan).
• Put the lamb on a board. Mix the rosemary, oil and paprika together and season well with salt and pepper. Rub over the lamb on both sides.
• Put the onions and stock into a small roasting tin, put a rack on top then place the lamb on top. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until brown then reduce the temperature to 160C/325F/Gas 3 (140C Fan). Cover the lamb with aluminium foil and continue to roast for 3-4 hours, basting from time to time until completely tender and the meat is falling off of the bone.
• Remove the foil and place the lamb on a plate to rest while you make the gravy. Skim off the fat into a bowl. Spoon two tablespoons of the fat into a saucepan.
• Sieve the roasting juices and softened onion into a measuring jug. Add boiling water to the jug to make up to 570ml/1 pint of liquid. Heat the fat in the saucepan until hot. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Still over the heat, add the roasting juices and whisk until thickened and smooth. Add redcurrant jelly and salt and pepper to taste and a little gravy browning if too pale. Serve with the lamb.