Mutton is a wonderful meat, long overlooked in favour of younger less strongly flavoured joints. At Grange Farm our mutton is from Swaledale ewes, too old to lamb, who have been on the moors for 5-6 years. This means the meat is dark, with a flavour only possible with older meat which has grazed outside. This is also a meat which you can enjoy throughout the winter. This recipe has the traditional English accompaniment to mutton, capers, whose sharp saltiness is a perfect foil for the rich meat.
Sufficient – 6-8 people
Seasonable – Spring
Ingredients
1 Leg mutton
1.5 litre White wine
1 litre Stock (lamb or chicken)
700 g Carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
700g Baby turnips, cleaned and left whole
2 Whole onions
6 Cloves
2 Bay leaves
4 Garlic cloves
2 Shallots, finely chopped
150g Unsalted butter
300ml Double cream
100g Rinsed capers - You can buy capers in vinegar or packed in salt, both with need rinsing before adding to sauce.
Salt and pepper
In a large heavy pan which will accommodate the meat, pour wine and stock. Add the onions, studded with the cloves, bay leaves and garlic. Bring to boil.
Reduce to simmer and place leg in stock. Cover and simmer for 90 mins.
With a ladle, carefully remove 1 litre of the hot stock. Keep mutton braising for a further 30 mins.
While this is going on, in a heavy bottomed pan, gently melt butter and add shallots. Cook gently until they are softened but not brown. Add hot stock and boil until volume reduced by about half. Add cream, reduce volume by about one third. Add drained capers. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Cover.
Remove mutton from stock and place on warmed serving dish. Leave to stand in a warm place. Place carrots and baby turnips in stock and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Remove turnips and carrots with a slotted spoon and place around mutton joint.
Gently warm sauce and serve in a jug alongside.
You might wish to accompany this dish with creamy mashed potatoes to soak up the juices and sauce, though it is delicious as it is.
The stock remaining in the pan is excellent for soups or risottos. Leave to cool, skim off surface fat, and, if not using immediately, freeze.
Note: any leftover mutton is delicious cold, with the hot mint jelly we sell in The Ginger Pig shops.
