When it comes to leftover hot cross buns, don’t just toast them - transform them. Stephen Parkins-Knight, senior brand innovation chef at Waitrose shares his tips:
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Hot cross bun croutons: Don’t bin those stale hot cross buns - they’re a secret weapon for spring salads. Transform them into Hot Cross Croutons; the warming spices, like cinnamon and nutmeg, are natural friends of blue cheese. My go-to is a 'Bitter & Blue' salad: layer sharp radicchio or chicory with sliced pear and crumbled Stilton. Tear the buns by hand and toast with olive oil and sea salt until ‘shatter-crisp.’ Scattered on top, the warm, spicy sweetness cuts perfectly through the funk of the cheese and the bitterness of the greens. It’s the ultimate gourmet hack for your Easter leftovers.
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Hot cross bun stuffing: Now, this is the ultimate side-dish hero for your roast dinner. Roughly tear up slightly stale buns, then sauté onions, celery, and chestnuts (or bacon) until super soft and caramelised. Fold in the torn buns with plenty of fresh herbs - I love parsley or rosemary for this - and a splash of chicken stock or milk to bind. Bake until the top is golden and crisp. The subtle sweetness of the hot cross buns are a wonderful, ‘swavory’ match for a rich, savoury lamb roast.
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Hot cross bun & butter pudding: This is the king of Easter leftovers. Slice your hot cross buns, butter them generously, and layer them in a baking dish. Whisk together eggs, cream, and milk with a splash of spiced rum or brandy and a zesty grating of orange peel. Pour the custard over the buns, let them soak until they're heavy and plump, then bake until golden, wobbly, and puffed. Serve with a dollop of our Waitrose No.1 Sicilian Lemon Clotted Cream for absolute decadence.
Until the 7th April, food lovers can save 1/3 on British lamb roasting joints. So, we thought you’d love to hear some tips from our Waitrose chefs; Stephen Parkins-Knight, Paul Gamble and Will Torrent from the Waitrose Food Innovation Studio, ahead of the Easter weekend.
Achieving a perfectly juicy roast lamb, tender from edge to center, requires a few key steps. Forget complex preparations; these simple techniques guarantee a spectacular result with minimal fuss:
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Bring it to room temperature: Never roast lamb straight from the fridge. The sudden temperature change ‘shocks’ the cold meat, resulting in a tough exterior and an undercooked middle. Take your lamb joint out at least one to two hours before cooking. This allows the internal temperature to rise, ensuring the heat penetrates the meat evenly.
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The instant flavour rub: Skip making a complicated herb paste. Instead, rub softened No.1 roasted garlic and herb blended butter generously over the lamb before it goes into the oven. This creates an immediate, vibrant, and flavourful crust that tastes and looks like it took hours of preparation.
The secret to tenderness is resting:
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Don't skip the rest: Resting the lamb is non-negotiable, it's essential for re-absorption. During cooking, muscle fibers tighten, pushing the juices towards the center. Carving immediately causes these precious juices to flood the cutting board, leaving the meat dry.
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The timing: Once cooked, transfer the lamb to a warm platter. For a standard leg of lamb, allow it to rest for a minimum of 30 to 45 minutes.
When you go to carve that perfectly rested lamb, carve against the grain. Since the meat is so tender from your resting tip, carving against the grain will make the slices literally fall apart on the plate.
Finishing touches:
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Elevate your sides: Use the resting time to finish your potatoes. For a high-quality, convenient option, we recommend the Waitrose No.1 frozen wagyu roast potatoes. To give them a custom, 'from-scratch' feel, simply toss in a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and several ‘smashed’ garlic cloves for the final 15 minutes of roasting. This adds a signature aromatic finish with half the prep time.
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The perfect gravy: Complete your meal by refining your gravy. Whisk in a little Waitrose Redcurrant Sauce with ruby Port for a sophisticated sweetness that cuts through the richness of the lamb, leaving a beautiful mirror-like shine.
By the time your side dishes are ready, the lamb will be perfectly rested, exceptionally tender, and effortless to carve!
Notes to Editors
About Waitrose & Partners
Run by over 45,000 passionate Partners, Waitrose has been serving customers for 120 years and offers extraordinary products in our 320 shops and on Waitrose.com. Inspiring food discovery, our expert Partners run almost 800 specialist food service counters in store, where customers can shop a variety of the best quality meat, fresh fish, dry aged beef, sushi, as well as cheese. Our Beer, Wine and Spirits team features the largest number of Masters of Wine of any UK supermarket and we sell nearly 3,000 different wines, beers, ciders, spirits as well as no and low drinks in our shops, on Waitrose.com and Waitrose Cellar. We are committed to selling products which have been responsibly sourced, grown using the very best sustainable farming methods, some of which are grown or trialled on our very own farm, the Leckford Estate. In 2024, Waitrose was granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment to be Grocers and Wine & Spirits Merchant to His Majesty King Charles III.
