Sian Lloyd Urges the Nation to Say Baa Not Humbug This Christmas
TV Presenter Sian Lloyd is fronting a campaign urging the nation to say yes to Welsh Lamb over the Christmas period, to help struggling Welsh sheep farmers.
The Buy Welsh Lamb campaign has been launched by Meat Promotion Wales, the industry-led organisation responsible for the promotion of Welsh red meat, to help farmers who have been badly hit by a three-month export ban. Despite the ban being lifted on 12 October 2007 there is about a third more lamb for sale in the UK than normal for this time of year, so sheep farmers need the people of Great Britain to rally round and buy more Welsh Lamb than usual this Winter.
Sian Lloyd is delighted to be involved with the campaign; "I have always enjoyed tucking into Welsh Lamb, so I am proud to support the Buy Welsh Lamb campaign and help Welsh sheep farmers in their time of need. Welsh Lamb is the best lamb in the world, and I'm looking forward to indulging in some Welsh Lamb Cawl and a few lamb roast dinners throughout the festive period - it's no hardship to do what I can for this cause!"
Respected Chef Andrew Turner, who is Head Chef at The Landau restaurant, London, is also a firm advocate of Welsh Lamb and mutton, says:
"The quality of Welsh Lamb is fantastic, so it's one of my favourite meats to cook with. We Brits need to do all we can to support our sheep farmers, and this campaign gives me another great reason to serve up more of my favourite lamb dishes this Winter."
Meat Promotion Wales is confident that the British public will be up to the Welsh Lamb challenge, as a recent Meat Promotion Wales survey of over 2,000 meat eaters found that nearly half (49%) of those surveyed would like to eat lamb more often over the Christmas period.
Gwyn Howells, Chief Executive of Meat Promotion Wales, adds:
"Welsh Lamb is a national treasure - where would we all be without a lamb roast - so everyone in the UK needs to show their support for our farmers by eating more lamb. In the case of Wales, about a third of the lamb reared in Wales is exported to Europe, so we're saying that if everyone in the UK eats twice as much lamb as they usually do before the end of the year, Welsh Lamb farmers may just stand a fighting chance of recovering from the export ban.
Lamb is one of the nation's favourite meats, so we are asking people to eat lamb in addition to traditional Christmas meats like Turkey this festive period to help the sheep farmers of Wales."
More information about the campaign can be found on the website www.buywelshlamb.co.uk.
Recipe for the perfect Welsh Lamb Roast
WELSH LAMB RACKS OR CROWN ROAST STUFFED WITH LAMB, LEEK, CRANBERRY AND PISTACHIO STUFFING
Cooking time:Medium 25 minutes per 450g/½kg (1lb) plus 25 minutes
Temperature: Gas Mark 4-5, 180oC, 350oF
INGREDIENTS:
Lean Welsh racks of lamb or crown roast (Allow approximately per
person 225g (8oz) for bone-in joints)
For the Stuffing:
225g (8oz) lean Welsh lamb mince
Small knob butter
1 leek, finely sliced
100g (4oz) fresh breadcrumbs
45ml (3tbsp) cranberry jelly
25g (1oz) pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
METHOD:
Make the Stuffing: Melt butter and lightly cook the leeks. Cool slightly and mix together all stuffing ingredients and stuff the centre of the crown or place in a sausage shape in the centre of the racks. Roll up and secure with string if necessary. Any extra stuffing make into balls and cook around the joint.
Weigh the joint when stuffed and calculate the cooking time. Place on a rack in a roasting tin and open roast in preheated oven for calculated cooking time.
Serve with roasted new potatoes and a selection of seasonal green vegetables.
