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Here are a few points when following my recipes:

Times to prepare, marinade (if required) and cook the recipe.

Preparation time will vary a lot depending on your knife skills and the gadgets, kitchen equipment you may have available. If in any doubt double the preparation time.

Marinade times will be a range i.e. 30min to 2hrs or overnight etc. I will indicate if things can be left for longer periods.

Cooking times, well this is a hard one for me as it depends on the cooker, BBQ and in some cases how often the front door is left open with a force 10 gale blowing into the kitchen. I will give you a rough idea with each recipe.

I use a modern fan assisted oven with a vague temperature control or a BBQ with more or less charcoal depending what I have around. (Quantity varies as this is Scotland, we only get about 3 days a years of outdoor BBQ weather and BBQ charcoal can often be in short supply.)

Ingredients.

Most of the recipes will require meat, in the form of LAMB, RAM or Cull Ewe. Having a flock of Shetland sheep and a few Shetland cross Polwarth, Texel, Beltex or Other is kind of a requirement. Having a friend, or good butcher who can supply the required cuts would also be OK. If you buy your lamb from the supermarket please don't. Support your local butcher, ask him to get you the lamb, ram or cull ewe meat if he does not already have it. Be prepared to buy a whole carcass and fill your freezer.

Herbs & Spices

I generally use fresh herbs if I can but dried herbs such as Rosemary are good as well.

Spices should be as new as possible. Try not to use spices that have lurked at the back of the cupoard for 5 years, treat your self and buy some fresh.

Salt: I use several types of salt, flaky salt crystals, coarse rock salt and fine grain but they are all good quality sea salt.

Pepper: Black, White, etc. but all fresh ground, it makes a difference.

Tools & Equipment.

A good heavy sharp knife.

Several large chopping boards.

A selection of glass or ceramic bowls.

A mincer.

Food Processor

Pestle and Mortar

General items such as spoons, forks, pans etc. found in your kitchen.