Roast Leg of Mutton
Ingredients (serves 10):
1 leg mutton (2-2.5 Kg)
500 ml of cheap red wine
500 ml boiling water
3-6 cloves garlic, peeled
4 juniper berries
Several sprigs of rosemary
Freshly ground sea or rock salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tablespoons of corn flour
Method:- The day before you want to cook this dish, start by marinating the mutton with a mixture of ground down garlic, juniper berries and finely chopped rosemary leaves for at least 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 150 C.
- Rinse off the herb crust and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
- Season with freshly ground sea or rock salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place the leg of mutton into a roasting dish with a lid.
- Roast the meat for 40 minutes per 500 grams.
- When cooked, remove the leg of mutton and place onto a carving dish, covering it with foil, to rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Pour the boiling water into the roasting dish, removing as much of the stock as possible.
- Drain the liquid through a muslin cloth into a saucepan and add the red wine.
- If required, s Season with freshly ground sea or rock salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Prepare the corn flour with a couple of tablespoons of water, heat the stock and stir in the liquefied corn flour until it is completely dissolved and you have a smooth, creamy gravy.
Variations:- Try cooking the mutton in a 'Roemertopf' (a German make clay pot).
- Proceed as normal but place the leg of mutton into the well-watered Roemertopf and then into the COLD oven. Do NOT preheat the oven or the clay pot WILL break.
- To remove the stock from the Roemertopf you MUST leave it to cool down for 10-15 minutes on a heat proof surface.
- Try marinating by spread the content of a whole 340 gram jar of mint sauce over the meat. Personally, I would always recommend Colman's Classic Mint Sauce. In any case it must be made from fresh mint, never opt for the mint sauce made from dried mint, it is the worst quality ever.
Side dish recommendations:- Roast potatoes, green beans, mint sauce, sage and onion stuffing and Yorkshire Puddings.
Alternatively- Roast potatoes and a full compliment of roast vegetables (thin, whole carrots, halved parsnips, thick-slices red onions), mint sauce and sage and onion stuffing.
Storing and reheating:- Once cooked this will keep several days in the fridge.
- To reheat, spoon some gravy into a saucepan, thinly slice some leg of mutton and ever so gently reheat. Do NOT bring to the boil.
- Suitable for home freezing, preferably in meal sized portions.
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