Took Nigel Slater's advice and cooked a slow roasted lamb for dinner, having first smeared it in a paste of garlic, cumin and thyme. It was delicious. I almost fell off my chair in shock when young F, usually very sceptical of any new taste especially if it is a sauce, was moved to declare that he liked the gravy. Sadly I did not have chickpeas in stock for Nigel Slater's recommended accompaniment, but boiled potatoes, steamed carrots and peas with a dash of mint seemed to do the trick.

Slow roasting is such a great way of cooking meat. Every time I do it, I kick myself for not doing it more often. All it actually requires is the ability to think about the meal several hours in advance. Alas, that seems to happen all too rarely.