lunch

Meals & Dishes

Spring onion soup with green oil

A seasonal twist on leek and potato, this spring onion soup has a fresher flavour. Show off by decorating it with a vibrant green oil and a crispy spring onion topping.

Meals & Dishes

Baked chicory with ham

Slightly bitter white chicory, grown in the dark as a ‘forced’ salad vegetable, is at its peak in early spring. Here, it’s wrapped in ham and cooked under a cosy blanket of cream, gruyère and parmesan. It makes a great side for roasts or can star in a veg-led dinner”

Meals & Dishes

Pommes anna with lemon and sage

Pommes anna is a dish of thinly sliced potatoes baked in layers, similar to dauphinois. There’s no cream added, though. Instead, the potatoes are cooked in butter enriched with the wonderful flavours of sage, garlic and lemon. Perfect served with all types of meat, fish and vegetables.

Meals & Dishes

Pork stifado

Stifado is a classic Greek stew, originally made with rabbit, but often now using pork or beef. The addition of warming spices of cinnamon, allspice and clove gives it special flavour, and makes it ideal for Easter celebrations. Here the spinach is added right at the end, so if making ahead, omit it until you reheat for serving.

Meals & Dishes

Polenta chips with salsa verde

Crunchy on the outside but soft and creamy in the middle (just like any good chip should be), these polenta fries are served with a tangy salsa verde and mayonnaise for dipping.

Meals & Dishes

Creamy baked leeks

Serve the creamy leeks alongside this spectacular slow-cooked pork with orange and prunes, also from the Ginger Pig.

Meals & Dishes

Roast pork loin with lavender honey-glazed apricots

In this lovely roast pork loin recipe, lavender honey-glazed apricots soak up the meat juices and are served with the pork, potatoes and a salad of radicchio and watercress, simply dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The lavender brings out the meatiness of the pork and turns this into something very special.

Meals & Dishes

Burrata with croutons and nettle and basil pesto

Creamy burrata gets served up alongside croutons for crunch and a pepped up nettle pesto. A simple spring starter from Bancone‘s executive chef, Ben Waugh.

Meals & Dishes

Sea bream with spring onion and brown butter rice

“Sea bream is a lovely fish that is easy to cook and goes brilliantly with the strong flavours in this recipe,” says food writer Melissa Thompson. “The nutty butter soaks into the rice taking with it the lemon, chilli and spring onion, It’s a really quick Easter lunch or spring Sunday roast whose flavour belies the lack of time spent cooking it.”

Meals & Dishes

Crab, feta and chard quiche

“With the beginning of spring this dish celebrates the incoming lighter days. Quiche is a great idea for Easter Sunday – relatively quick to make and the sweetness of the crab is lifted by the tanginess of the feta. It can be made in advance too, leaving time for a Sunday stroll beforehand.” Food writer, Melissa Thompson