Gordon Ramsay\'s Great British Pub Food

Mutton with parsley

and caper sauce

Boiled leg of lamb is a classic dish, but we prefer to use

mutton as it has a deeper flavour that is well retained

during long, slow cooking. Boiling, of course, is something

of a misnomer, as the cooking liquor should barely simmer,

to ensure that the meat is meltingly tender. You may have

to order the mutton in advance from your butcher. Failing

that,you could use a boned and rolled leg of lamb.

Put the mutton into a large cooking pot and add enough cold water

to cover. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Skim

off the froth and scum from the surface of the liquid. Add the herbs,

peppercorns and a generous pinch of salt, then simmer for 21 /2-3

hours until the meat is just tender.

In the meantime, cu t the vegetables into small chunks. Add them to
the cooking pot and return to a simmer. Cook gently for a further
40-50 minutes until t he vegetables are just tender.

To make the sa uce, melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and
stir in the flour. Cook, stirring, over a medium heat for a couple of
minutes. Take the pan off the heat and slowly stir in the milk, keeping
the sauce smooth. Add a few ladlefuls of stock from the mutton,
about 300ml, stirring well. Simmer gently for about '5 minutes,
stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened to a light coating
consistency. Add t he capers and parsley and season well to taste.

When ready, lift the mutton out of the stock onto a warm platter.
Cover loosely wit h foil and leave to rest in a warm place for about
'5 minutes. Carve into thin slices and serve with the vegetables and
caper sauce. The mutton stock and any leftover meat and vegetables
can be used to make a lovely soup.

SERVES 6

1.2kg boned and rolled

leg of mutton

2 bay leaves

few thyme sprigs

1 tsp black peppercorns

sea salt

2 large leeks, trimmed

2-3 large carrots, peeled

1 large swede, about

400-450g, peeled

2 medium turnips, about

400-450g, peeled

PARSLEY AND CAPER

SAUCE

4Sg butter

3 tbsp plain flour

300ml warm milk

5-6 tbsp capers, rinsed

small bunch of flat-leaf

parsley, leaves chopped

sea salt and black pepper

COMFORT FOOD 155