The Loveliness of a Long Lunch (Inside or Out)

Plus, easygoing recipes to inspire you to host at any hour (including a few emergency-measure desserts)

There’s something special about entertaining at lunchtime, for hosts and guests both. A dinner party proper can be more high-pressure because it comes with greater expectations, but at noon you can toss fuss and formality out the window and welcome in a more relaxed atmosphere, with uncomplicated food, easy conversation, and (increasingly desirable) the guarantee of an early night.

The simplest thing in all the world is, of course, any warm-weather variation of a Sunday roast. The other day, I made a 4-hour confit shoulder of lamb with roasted garlic, from French Taste, and was reminded of how gloriously good it is. Here’s how you make it…

Just cut into this with two spoons and it will fall apart. Beautiful juices are hiding beneath that watercress, too. And there are sweet cloves of roasted garlic to squish into with your fork.