FOR many people Easter Sunday would not be the same without a succulent piece of roast spring lamb, deliciously savoury after all those sweet chocolate eggs.

The lamb that is available now is the first of the spring lamb, young and very tender with quite a sweet, if not very strong, flavour. From the summer through to Christmas it is known quite simply as lamb, the animals getting slightly bigger and the flavour getting ever so slightly stronger.

After Christmas until the following Easter is what is called hogget (usually still called lamb on menus). This has a distinctive flavour and, like mutton . . . even more mature at two years old, responds well to slow roasting and stewing.

If you haven't ordered your lamb for next Sunday, now is the time. There are so many wonderful flavours that work with lamb. A paste of crushed cumin or coriander seeds (or both) and olive oil over a leg of lamb tastes wonderful. Or replace the spices with chopped herbs like rosemary, marjoram, mint or thyme . . .with a bit of garlic too. Olives or olive tapenade are delicious with lamb, either in a stuffing or served on the side.

If you have lots of people to feed at Easter, consider a shoulder of lamb, which will feed 15 to 20 people, or a leg, which may feed eight or 10 people. But if there are just a couple of you and you want one of the most succulent cuts, go for a rack of lamb. If you are handy with a knife you can saw and prepare yourself, otherwise your butcher can do it for you.

Either way, once you have some delicious lamb, a glass of pinot noir and more chocolate to look forward to, you can rest assured it will be a happy Easter.

ROAST SHOULDER OF LAMB STUFFED WITH TAPENADE
Serves 16

This is a delicious provencal recipe that we make at the cookery school. A shoulder will serve about 16 people so this is perfect if you are entertaining at Easter.

One shoulder of lamb . . . 3.6kg with bones or 3kg without bones (two small shoulders are even better) For the tapenade stuffing 175g black olives, stoned Two large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped Two anchovies Two tbsp extra virgin olive oil For the gravy 850ml homemade lamb or chicken stock Preheat the oven to 1800C/3500F/gas 4.

Ask your butcher to bone the shoulder of lamb for you or do it yourself.

To make the tapenade, put the olives, garlic, anchovies and olive oil into a food processor and whiz for a few seconds, just long enough to chop the olives fairly coarsely . . . it shouldn't be a puree.

Score the skin of the lamb lightly then put the meat skin side down on your worktop. Remove surplus fat from the inside, spread the olive mixture over the meat and roll lengthways, tying at regular intervals with string.

Sprinkle lightly with salt and roast in the oven for about an hour and a quarter.

This will produce lamb with a fairly pink colour . . . cook it longer if you want it more well done. Remove to a carving dish and allow to rest while you make the gravy .

To make the gravy, place the roasting tray on a medium hob, pour on some of the stock and using a whisk or something similar, dissolve the juices that were stuck to the bottom of the tray by mixing them with the stock.

Pour into a jug, remove the fat, pour into a saucepan with the remaining stock, simmer until it has good flavour. Season and serve with the lamb.

TERIYAKE LAMB WITH CARROT AND SESAME SALAD
Serves 4

If you feel like something a little different this Easter but still want to eat lamb, try this delicious and light Japanese teriyaki dish.

Two tbsp Japanese soy sauce (like Kikkoman) Two tbsp mirin One tsp caster sugar 600g tender lamb, diced into 2-3cm pieces About 6six spring onions For the carrot and sesame salad Two medium carrots, cut into matchsticks 75g beansprouts One small red onion, sliced thinly One tbsp toasted sesame seeds Two tsp Japanese soy sauce One tbsp mirin Half tsp sugar Two tsp peanut or sunflower oil Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sugar and lamb in a bowl. If you have time marinade the lamb in this mixture for half an hour to an hour.

Cut the spring onion into 3cm-long pieces. Thread the lamb and onion pieces, alternately, on satay sticks that you have boiled in water for five minutes (so they do not burn). Cook on a very hot grill-pan or on a barbeque, brushing with the soy mixture occasionally, until the lamb is cooked as desired.

Meanwhile make the carrot and sesame salad by combining all the ingredients.

Serve the teriyaki lamb with the salad on plates or shallow bowls.

HERB-CRUSTED RACK OF SPRING LAMB WITH TOMATO BASIL JUS
Serves 4

This recipe is extracted from Eden, published by Gill and MacMillan. Author Eleanor Walsh recommends using some Blasket Island lamb from Gerry Kennedy's butcher shop in Dingle for this dish.

For the herb-crusted lamb Allow three or four chops of lamb on each rack per person (for four people you will need two racks with six to eight chops in each).

One tbsp sunflower oil Two cloves of garlic, crushed 100g breadcrumbs Salt and freshly ground white pepper One tbsp chopped parsley One tbsp chopped rosemary Two tbsp dijon or wholegrain mustard For the sauce Splash of red wine 250ml jus (made by boiling stock and red wine together for a while until rich in flavour) or stock One tomato, deseeded and diced One tbsp basil, chopped For the crispy aubergine slices to garnish One aubergine, cut into one cm circles Salt 50ml olive oil Preheat the oven to 1900C/3750F/gas 5.

Mix the oil with the garlic. Add the breadcrumbs and mix well. Season. Place on a roasting tray and put in the oven for 15 minutes, tossing every five minutes to get an even golden-brown colour. Remove from the oven, cool and add the herbs.

Increase the heat to 2000C, gas 6.

To make the crispy aubergine slices, heat the oven to 2000C, gas 6. Sprinkle some salt on the aubergine flesh. Leave for 20 minutes. Pat dry with kitchen peper.

Brush both sides with oil, lay on a baking tin and put in the oven for 12-15 minutes.

Trim the racks of lamb and score the fat with a sharp knife; you can also ask your butcher to do this for you. Heat a frying pan and season the racks with salt and pepper. Seal in the pan until golden brown on all sides.

Place in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on how pink you like to eat your lamb. Remove from the oven, brush with mustard and sprinkle the crust onto the rack. Cover with tinfoil and keep in a warm place for at least 10 minutes . . . the meat must rest before you serve it.

To make the sauce, once the lamb is removed from the frying pan, drain off the grease and add a splash of red wine . Bring to the boil, then add the jus (or the stock).

Check the seasoning. Just before serving add the tomato and basil.

To serve, place the mash on a hot plate.

Slice each rack into chops, using the bone as a guide. Arrange on potato mash and spoon the sauce over the meat. Garnish with aubergine slices.