Posted on October 23, 2013
Our butchery tutor, Andrew Sharp, has put together the following recipe for you lamb lovers………
Requirements for this recipe are a renaissance quality mutton shoulder definitely only available from a proper butcher farm shop or farmers market, the good thing about this recipe is that ewe can do a full mutton shoulder and have it for a few days or a part of a shoulder will do just as well.
The classic thing to go with sheep meat lamb or mutton is anchovy’s and as the anchovies are salted that’s part of the seasoning requirements, and second only to the anchovies is the garlic then in descending importance is rosemary.
So here’s the plan - get the shoulder or part shoulder fat side down in a very hot cast iron frying pan and brown all of the shoulder that is practical to the point of nearly burning, then make deep incisions to insert the anchovies, garlic and rosemary.
Rub plenty of proper sea salt, if necessary brushing the outside lightly with water so the salt will stay put, and grind some fresh black pepper as well and put in a pre- heated oven about 150-160'C for just under an hour a pound.
It’s ok to either sit the meat on a bed of nice veggies like fennel, parsnips etc or for me I prefer to have nothing underneath so I can make fantastic gravy to warm the leftovers the following day.
Just as an aside, in my mind no lamb dish is finished without a little mint sauce.
