Saturday supper: Roast leg of lamb and French toast with roasted figs recipes

Hi and welcome to the best day of the week. My friend Warren has started the Scottish Italian Awards of which I am head judge, so I’ve been in Scotland tasting pasta and pizza while on a

mission to find the best Italian chef in the country.

And now to another Scottish chef with this week’s book, Kitchin Suppers, by one of my favourites, Tom Kitchin. Everything he cooks has so much flavour, including the lamb, a firm favourite

in the Zilli household. 

I am planning to try the French toast with roasted figs, which sounds really tasty – I love figs in any form.

One of the highlights of my trip to Glasgow was the discovery of the deli, Eusebi, run by Giovanna Eusebi. This gem serves some of the best Italy has to offer, from cured ham with a melon

jam, to focaccia with Italian sausage and potatoes and a fab calamari fritti.

Put the lamb on a board. Combine the garlic, rosemary, cumin and fennel seeds. With a sharp knife, make little slits all over the surface of the lamb and push in the rosemary and spice

mixture. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Put to one side.

Snip the tomatoes off the vine, leaving the stalks intact. Cut a slice – about a quarter – from the top of each tomato and reserve. Scoop the juice and seeds from the tomatoes, leaving the

shells intact.

Heat a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil. Cook the onion slowly for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and dried herbs, turn up the heat and add the courgette

and aubergine and season. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes – you may need to add more oil as aubergine is so absorbent. Add the red pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring

occasionally. Check the seasoning and remove from the heat.

Heat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/gas mark 4. Put a heavy-based ovenproof pan over a medium-high heat and add a little olive oil. Brown the lamb on all sides for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to the

oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Fill the tomatoes with the ratatouille and top with the lids. Stand them in a small roasting tray. Add the stock, butter and a drizzle of olive oil.

Reduce the oven setting to 160°C/320°F/gas mark 3 and put in the tomatoes. Roast for 20 minutes, basting the tomatoes occasionally with the pan juices.

Rest the lamb in a warm place for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with the tomatoes with the pan juices spooned over.

Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Put the honey, butter, orange juice and cinnamon in a small saucepan and heat gently until melted and combined.

Place the figs on a baking tray and spoon the honey and orange mixture over them. Roast, basting frequently with the juices,for 10-15 minutes until the figs are tender. With a slotted spoon,

transfer the figs to a dish.

Pour the honey and orange sauce from the tray into a small pan and bubble until thickened slightly. Halve the figs and spoon over the sauce. Lower the oven setting to 120°C/250°F/gas mark

1⁄2. 

Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, 1 tbsp of honey, the orange zest, vanilla seeds and cinnamon. Pour into a deep plate or shallow dish.

In batches if necessary, lay the bread slices in the egg mixture 

and leave to soak for 2-3 minutes, turning once. Meanwhile, in a non-stick frying pan, heat the oil and butter until hot. Add the soaked bread slices and fry for about 2-3 minutes, turning

once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate or baking tray to keep warm while you fry the rest.

To serve, dust the French toast with icing sugar, put on warm plates and top with the roasted figs and sauce. Drizzle with the remaining honey and scatter over a few toasted almonds. 

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You

can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Recipes taken from Kitchin Suppers by Tom Kitchin, photographer Laura Edwards, published by Quadrille, £12.99.

To order your copy, call the Express Bookshop on 01872 562310, send a cheque or postal order, made payable to The Express Bookshop to Express Bookshop, PO Box 200, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11

4WJ, or order online at expressbookshop.com. 

See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive.