A TASTE OF OLD ENGLAND

I have never understood the prevailing belief that some how mutton is an inferior meat when compared to lamb. Now don't get me wrong,lamb is tasty,especially Welsh Mountain or Salt Marsh Lamb,but at this time of the year the flavour of Mutton, weather roasted casseroled or boiled is by far the tastier meat and it costs much less.

Mutton, like many meats has it's season,it is a meat for the winter months a rich mutton stew on a cold day takes a lot of beating. Of course you can make the same stew with lamb but it cannot hold a candle to the hearty warming plateful which mutton produces.

A slowly roasted shoulder of mutton has no equal and can hold up it's head among such joints as fore rib of beef of roast suckling pig , and ,here is the best part, for a fraction of the cost.

I ordered half a sheep on Monday and today it arrived, expertly jointed and safely packaged in a large cool box. For the sum of £88.00 including the delivery charge I received a whole leg of mutton cut in to two joints, a whole shoulder weighing nine kilos, five kilos of casserole meat,a breast of mutton boned and rolled and a large bag of enormous mutton chops, real value for money.

I have served roast mutton to guests many times and they always say that it tastes like the meat they remember from their childhood and so it does.

Tomorrow we shall have a casserole with lots of lovely winter veggies,leeks ,swede and parsnips,chunks of carrot and sliced onion all in a rich mutton gravy and some creamed potatoes ,a real winter meal. Pa has to go to hospital tomorrow for some less than pleasant tests and he is looking forward to his meal when it is all over.

My son finished his latest book today and so we have decided to have a celebration feast on Friday to celebrate, roast shoulder of mutton with dauphin potatoes is on the menu the left overs will be frozen and will eventually make a shepherds pie, mutton pies and Scotch broth all family favourites here. This one joint will provide between twelve and fifteen between twelve and fifteen servings, for less than £20.00!

Give mutton a try, shop on line where the choice is great and the prices competitive,affordable treats are rare these days and a taste of old England was never easier to enjoy.