Graig Farm - What We Offer > Cooking & Recipes > Welsh Mountain Mutton Recipes

Traditional Spiced Mutton

Ingredients :

• Mutton joint (leg or shoulder)
• ground black pepper
• powdered thyme
• ground mace
• fine oatmeal
• mutton dripping (or other fat)
• cabbage
• cider

Bone the joint, rub it well with black pepper, a little powdered thyme, a pinch of mace and fine oatmeal - do not use salt. Wrap the whole in cabbage leaves, and cover in foil (traditionally the meat would have been thickly covered in mutton fat). Roast very slowly, allowing 20 minutes/lb of meat. Baste well at least twice during cooking and when basted add a cupful of cider to the fat in the pan. It can be eaten either hot or cold.

This recipe was a common way to prepare roast mutton in the UK until the War.

Mutton Broth

From ancient times, "broth" meant the liquor of all meat. However as mutton was nearly always boiled, it was most likely to produce broth. In the medieval kitchen, the communal pot would have held a number of foods being cooked, and therefore the broth would have been a mixture of sources. When mutton broth was specially required, the following recipe would he used:

Ingredients :

• Scrag end of neck of mutton
• shank bones
• onion
• various vegetables
• herbs
• salt
• barley grains
• salt and pepper

Method:

The mixture would be covered in a pan with water; and simmered until the bones were clean and the vegetables soft. The mixture was then strained into a basin. Next day the fat would be skimmed off, and the clear broth poured into a pan to heat up with a handful of barley and pieces of meat and vegetables. The broth was again simmered until the barley was soft, and the broth served in bowls with pepper, salt and oatcakes.

Probably most of the kings of England were reared upon this form of mutton broth.

Fricasse of Mutton with Glazed Vegetables

Ingredients :

• 2 kg middle neck mutton cut into equal size 50g pieces
• 60 ml oil
• 60 g butter
• Seasoning [salt, pepper & sugar]
• 50g flour
• 700 ml brown chicken stock
• 350ml tomato concasse
• 350g mirepoix (onions, garlic, leek, celery, carrot, fennel)
• 80g tomato puree
• 1 faggot herbs 9parsley, thyme, bay leaf, crushed black pepper, 1 clove)
• 1 bunch chopped chives and parsley

• 16 baby carrots
• 16 baby turnips
• 16 button onions
• 40g broad beans
• 40g French beans

Wash and peel all vegetables then glace in a. mixture of water, butter, sugar and salt. Once tender they should be added to the stew.

Method

Heat the oil and butter in a sautepan and place the seasoned mutton pieces in the pan.
Seal the meat briskly until it is caramelised with the salt, pepper and sugar.
The sugar settles slowly on the bottom of the pan where it turns to caramel. It is dissolved by moistening and ultimately will give the required colour of the sauce.
Take the meat from the pan then remove some of the fat. Add the mirepoix vegetables and sweat for a few minutes then add the puree of tomato, then the flour and cook for a few minutes. Add the stock a little at a time mixing thoroughly to prevent lumps then add the tomato concasse, bring to the boil and skin. Drop in the faggot and cook in the oven for approx 1½ hours.
Once the meat is tender, decant the meat pieces and pass the braising liquor through a chinois onto the cooked meat pieces. Finally take the glazed vegetables and potatoes and add to the stew. Season to taste and finish with chopped parsley.

Slow Roast Loin of Mutton with Autumn Vegetables

Ingredients :

• 1 loin of mutton
• 100 ml oil
• 100g butter
• 150g mirepoix vegetables
• 1 bouquet garni of herbs (thyme, mint, parsley, bay leaf, tarragon)
• 1/2 head garlic
• 100g shallots
• 300 ml thickened brown veal or chicken stock
• 200 ml white wine

This can be pot roasted on or off the bone. The recipe that follows is off the hone before cooking.

Method

Remove the loin and fillet from the bone and lightly bat the hat 50) it is even and fairly thin, then place the fillet on top of the loin eye and roll so everything is covered by the fat. String it to keep the shape then chop the bones into small pieces and keep the meat trimmings.
In a hot roast tray seal the boned loin roll until it is golden all round. Then take from the roasting tray and place chopped bones and trimmings until they are caramelised. Add the vegetables, ½ head of garlic and a bouquet garni of’ the herbs. Then pour on top the white wine. Reduce by half then add the stock, bring to the boil and place rolled loin on top of the bones.
Cover with foil then place in the oven approx 140o and pot roast for approx 50 minutes then remove the foil, switch the oven down to as low as possible and baste the meat with the liquor until it is beautifully glazed for approx 30mins/45mins.
Once glazed and the meat is very soft, remove from the resulting liquor and pass the juice through a fine chinois making sure that the garlic cloves are crushed through the chinois to act as a liaison and flavouring of the sauce. Mount with a little butter. Season to taste and finish with finely cut tarragon, parsley and a touch of mint.
Slice the meat then pour the sauce over the mutton.
Garnish with mixed vegetables such as carrots, parsnips and beetroot with potatoes finished with gruyere cheese and chives.

Poached Leg Welsh Mutton with Caper Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 Leg of mutton
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots
• ¼ celery
• 200g button mushrooms
• 2 leeks
• 1 bouquet Garni
• 5 l chicken white stock
• 400ml cream
• 60g capers (salted or in brine)

Garnish

• 200g carrots
• 200g celeriac
• 200g celery
• [all cut in buttons]
• 500g new potatoes

Method

Take the leg of mutton and soak in water to degorge overnight.
Place the leg in a. pan and cover with white chicken stock and white wine with a bouquet garni. Bring to the boil, skim and simmer for ½ an hour.
Peel, wash and cut the vegetables and place into the pot with the leg of mutton and cook for a further 2 hours until the leg is totally cooked through and tender depending on size.
Remove the leg and reduce the resulting liquor so it will become much richer in texture and in taste.
Pass the liquor through a fine sieve and pour in the double cream. Bring back to the boil and simmer for a few minutes only. Then add capers which have been previously washed. Season to taste.
Slice the le and pour sauce over the top and garnish with new potatoes and the jardinière of celery, carrot and celeriac.

Mutton and Turnip Pie

The filling for this simple pie is slow-cooked to help the flavours of the mutton and the vegetables combine. Serve on a cold day with buttered cabbage, boiled potatoes or mashed swede and enjoy with a fruity red wine.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1kg (2.2lb) neck fillet of mutton, cut into rough 2cm pieces
• Plain flour for dusting
• 2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
• Vegetable oil for frying
• A small sprig of rosemary
• Salt & Freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 litres (21/2 pints) chicken or lamb stock
• 425g (1lb) turnips, peeled and cut into rough 2-3 cm chunks
• 350g (12oz) puff pastry, rolled to about 1cm (1/2 cm) thick
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C, Gas 6, 400°C.
Season the pieces of mutton and dust generously with about a tbsp or so of flour.
Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and fry the pieces of mutton and onions without colouring them too much, for 3-4 minutes.
Add the rosemary and stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 11/2 -2 hours until the mutton is soft and tender.
Add the turnips. Cover with a lid and add a little boiled water if necessary. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the turnips are cooked. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
Meanwhile cut the pastry a little larger than the pie dish or dishes if you are making individual pies. 6 When the mutton mixture is cooled transfer it to your pie dish.
Brush the edges of the pastry with some egg and lay the pastry on the dish, pressing the edges onto the rim.
Cut a slit about 2-3cms (1”) in the centre to let the steam out or for a larger pie use a pie funnel. 9 Bake the pie for 40-45 minutes until golden.

Braised Mutton and Caper Cobbler

A hearty mid-week supper that’s delicious served on its own or with some creamy mash to soak up the juices.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

For the Stew

• 1kg (2.2lb) diced leg of mutton
• 2 celery stalks, halved
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut in half
• 1/2 small swede, cut into 12 chunks
• 6 shallots, peeled
• 6 small turnips, scrubbed but not peeled
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• salt
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 litre (13/4 pints) lamb stock made with 2 good quality stock cubes

For the Cobbler top

• 350g (12oz) self raising flour
• 100g (4oz) butter, diced
• 50g (2oz) capers, chopped
• 10g (1/2 oz) parsley, chopped
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
• 30ml (2 tbsp) plain natural yoghurt
• mixed with 70ml (5 tbsp) cold water.

Method

Place the mutton in a large casserole or pan with the vegetables and herbs.
Add peppercorns and season with salt.
Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 1 hour.
To make the cobbler rub the fat and the flour together.
Stir in the capers, parsley, onions and pepper.
Add enough of the yoghurt and water mix to make a soft, pliable dough.
Roll dough to 2.5cm (1”) thick and cut into 12 rounds or wedges. Place on top of the mutton.
Bake at 200°C, Gas 6, 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until the cobbler is golden brown