The Kitchen Book

Ella Risbridger · The Kitchen Book

We tend to think of lamb as a spring thing — Easter, etc. — possibly because that is when the lambs are hopping and leaping about. It is obvious with even a tiny bit of thought that this makes no sense: the lambs, in spring, are very small. They are hopping and leaping about. They are not the large hefty boys one needs for a leg of lamb. The leg of an actual little lamb is very small, and probably not nearly as nice to eat. Also, while it is possible to feel bad about eating little-lamb-qua-little-lamb because of the small hopping and leaping of it all, I have no real feelings about eating a big hefty autumn boy. This is because when I was a child we had a lot of these autumn boys and they were extremely violent: large mean lads who guarded the garden gate with all the indiscriminate vigour of a drunk bouncer. They were also then, as they are now, extremely delicious. They are especially delicious when you cook them like this: lots of spices, lots of garlic, and anchovies for classic