To my mind, nothing evokes springtime more than new-season lamb.

To my mind, nothing evokes springtime more than new-season lamb. But herein lies the paradox. There are two seasons a year that give us lamb. The first begins in late August and the second in late March.

But it's spring lamb that excites chefs with its lovely, pale red meat that is just begging to be used in lighter style dishes after the richness of winter.

My earliest memories of lamb are my mother's casseroles which simmered away in the oven every Sunday morning.

They were a weekly treat served at lunch that day. I suppose it was a common story in English provinces of the 1960s and 1970s.

Chances are it was made from frozen lamb that had travelled from the Southern Hemisphere.

When buying lamb, check for a good layer of white, dry fat and brightly coloured pale red flesh.

Don't be put off by a little fat. It provides the flavour when cooking and offers some protection for the meat. You'll have no problem buying good quality lamb from a reputable butcher.
Lamb sold in the supermarket is from cross-breeds which are also bred for wool.

From my butcher, a good lamb is the Dorset from the Riverina.

But the most exciting developments of late are from producers rearing old breeds such as black-faced Suffolk, Southdown and Wiltshire Horn.

They are bred purely for their meat. So far, my personal favourite is Wiltshire Horn from Dunbar Wilkinson who farms just south of Cooma. The breed dates back to Roman times.

His property is well on the way to becoming certified organic and he also believes in minimal interference in alamb's short life (they are killed at four to eight months).He doesn't even castrate the males, a common practice commercially. If that's not a happy lamb, I don't know what is.

Share your lamb recipes with us