Roast Mutton Recipes

Recipes for roast mutton.

The pieces normally used for roasting mutton are the hind quarter of the sheep, called the loin and leg, the forequarter, the shoulder, also the chine or saddle, which is the two loins together. Every part should be trimmed off which can't be eaten; then wash well and dry with a clean cloth; lay it in your dripping pan and put in a bit of water to baste it with at first; then afterwards with its own gravy.

Allow, in roasting, about twelve minutes cooking time to the pound; that is, if your fire is strong, which it needs to be. It ought not to be salted at first, as that is likely to harden it, and draws out too much of the blood or juices; but salt soon after it begins to roast well. If there is danger of its browning too fast, cover it with a sheet of white paper. Baste the roast it often, and about a quarter of an hour before you think it will be cooked dredge the meat very lightly with flour and baste it with butter. Skim the gravy well and thicken very slightly with brown flour. Serve roast mutton with currant jelly or other tart sauce.

Roasted Leg of Mutton

Take the bone out of a small leg of mutton, without spoiling the skin if possible, then cut off most of the fat. Fill the hole whence the bone was taken with a stuffing made the same as for fowls, adding to it part of an onion finely minced. Sew the leg up underneath to prevent the dressing or stuffing from falling out. Bind and tie it up compactly; put it in a roasting pan, turn in a cup of hot water and place it in a moderately hot oven, basting it now and again. When partly cooked season with salt and pepper.

When thoroughly cooked, remove and place the leg on a warm platter; skim the grease from the top of the drippings, add a cup of water and thicken with a spoonful of dissolved flour. Send the gravy to the table in a gravy dish, also a dish of currant jelly.